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Objective: This is a longitudinal observation looking for the emergence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in a rapid response police unit. Methods: After taking informed consent, measurements were taken of blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose periodically in 2019, 2021, and 2023 in January. 146 police officers enrolled out of 148 screened and 117 completed the study. Results: In four years, the proportion of individuals with MetS values exceeding the norm increased by 20-30% for each component with 56 new cases of impaired metabolic parameters and 13 new cases of MetS observed among 110 previously unaffected police officers. Conclusion: A significant increase in the number of Metabolic Syndrome was found, particularly via its effects on blood lipid levels in police personnel which a highly stressful for professionals. Future longitudinal studies with continuous stress monitoring and comparing with a control will more in-depth knowledge into it.

Abdulrahman M Jabour,1 Wajiha Rehman,1 Sumaira Idrees,1 Hemalatha Thanganadar,1 Kiani Hira,2 Mohammad A Alarifi3 1Department of Health Informatics, Faculty of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia; 2Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Research Network, Islamabad, Pakistan; 3Department of Radiological Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Abdulrahman M JabourDepartment of Health Informatics, Faculty of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi ArabiaTel +966-17329500 Ext 5545Email ajabour@jazanu.edu.saBackground: Studies documented the important role of health-care professionals in encouraging their patients to adopt and use mobile health applications. Health-care professionals who use and believe in mobile health applications are more likely to encourage and empower their patients to use it. Likewise, students in health-profession related specialties who use mobile health applications are more likely to continue to do so when they join the workforce.Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the rate of adoption of mobile health applications in students in health colleges, identify the types of health applications used by health students, and identify the barriers that prevent the use of mobile health applications.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among university students. Students were invited to participate in a self-administrated survey from five health colleges. The survey included questions about the pattern of utilization, the purpose of the health-related application being used, and the barriers to adoption. The analysis included descriptive statistics using SPSS.Results: A total of 383 students participated in this study. The within gender comparison showed that more female students were using health-related applications 59.8% compared to male students 49%. The most frequent purpose of using mobile health applications were tracking physical activities 72.5% followed by counting calories intake 44%. We also identified the frequency and duration of use as well as the factors which may impact students intention to use.Conclusion: Fitness and dietary related applications were more common which might be explained by the fact that we only included a younger age group. The reported levels of perceived usefulness, accessibility and ease of use suggest that students will continue to use it.Keywords: mHealth, mobile phones, behavior change, health promotion, physical activity, nutrition, overweight, adolescents and students

Software components that rely on the Internet in order to be accessed and used cover many aspects of our daily activities including email checking, weather checking, purchase ordering, and Facebook logging. Nowadays, these components are considered one of the most valuable and fundamental rights in human’s life. However, accessing and using the functionality of such components are performed using two techniques: web applications or traditional web services. Determining which one of the techniques is better suited for delivering the functionality of an Internet-based software component is not an easy task to decide. Therefore, this paper aimed to make a comparative analysis and study of both techniques alongside many directions to help web developers make the right choice to deliver the functionality of Internet-based software components. This is achieved by providing them with a set of requirements that have been proposed by the authors. The proposed requirements clarify a number of misunderstandings and issues peculiar to both techniques. Furthermore, this paper has provided a comparative table of both techniques. To the best of our knowledge, so far there is no comprehensive comparative study has been conducted in this context which was the rationale for the authors to carry out this study.

Software integration is a crucial aspect of collaborative software applications and systems. It enables a number of different software applications, created by different developers, using different programming languages, and even located at different places to work with each other collaboratively to achieve common goals. Nowadays, a number of techniques are available to enable software integration. Messaging is the most prominent technique in this respect. In this paper, two leading open-source messaging brokers, Apache ActiveMQ and Apache Apollo, have been experimentally compared with each other with regard to their messaging capabilities (message sending and receiving throughputs). Both brokers support exchanging messages between heterogeneous and distributed software applications using several messaging mechanisms including Java Message Service (henceforth JMS). A number of experimental test scenarios have been conducted to obtain the comparison results that indicate the one-to-one JMS messaging performance of each broker. Overall performance evaluation and analysis showed that Apache Apollo outperformed Apache ActiveMQ in all test scenarios regarding message sending throughputs. Whereas, Apache ActiveMQ outperformed Apache Apollo in most test scenarios regarding message receiving throughputs. Moreover, the evaluation methodology (test conditions, test scenarios, and test metrics) proposed in this paper has been carefully chosen to be adopted by software developers to evaluate other messaging brokers to determine the acceptable level of messaging capabilities in distributed environments of heterogeneous software applications.

Objective: This study investigated the efficacy of adjunctive low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) compared to sham stimulation for treating psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) in children and adolescents. Methods: Twenty patients diagnosed with PNES were randomized to receive either active rTMS or sham stimulation over the supplementary motor area (SMA) for ten sessions over two weeks. Clinical severity, seizure frequency and duration, dissociative experiences, anxiety, and depression were assessed before, after treatment, and at two weeks follow-up. Results: Both groups showed improvements in clinical parameters. However, the active rTMS group demonstrated a significantly greater reduction in overall clinical severity compared to sham at the four-week follow-up. This improvement was not sustained after treatment ended. Additionally, patients with more severe PNES (higher seizure frequency and duration) showed greater improvement with rTMS. There were no significant differences between groups in anxiety or depression scores. Conclusion: Low-frequency rTMS may offer some benefits for PNES, particularly for patients with severe symptoms. However, the short-lived effects and potential for placebo response necessitate further research with larger sample sizes, longer follow-up periods, and optimized stimulation parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study was conducted to collate and compare a 1 year post-surgical radiographic outcome of posterior spinalinstrumentation and correction in the coronal plane with the use of pedicle screws against hybrid fixation in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Methods: Cross-sectional study involving 34 patients who underwent scoliosis correction. The variables were measured pre-operatively, immediately post surgery and in two 6 monthly OPD follow-ups. Data analysis of data was conducted in SPSS version 20. Results: Average major curve was corrected from 58.0 ± 13.0° pre-op to 16.0 ± 9.0° using pedicle screws fixation and increased to 18.4 ± 8.6° at first year follow-up and using hybrid construct, thenormal major curve was corrected from 62.0 ± 13.0° pre-op to 18.0 ± 8.0° and increased to 22 ± 9°. By 1 year of follow-up, differences were apparent between the two groups considering the curvature in the coronal plane. Conclusion: Cobbs angles between pre-operative and post operative correction and 1-year radiographic follow-up evaluation was better in the instrumentation fixation using pedicle screws compared to hybrid instrumentation. Using pedicle screws there was a correction loss of 12.5% as compared to the 16.6% using hybrid fixation Pedicle screw instrumentation. Pedicle screw fixation also has the advantage of allowing three dimensional correction of deformity. Key Words: Adolescent, Scoliosis, Pedicle Screws

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq is actively seeking to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) in order to stimulate economic growth and development. One way the region has sought to attract FDI is by establishing a one-stop-shop service that provides investors with a convenient and efficient means of accessing investment-related services and support. This study aims to analyze the impact of introducing a one-stop-shop on the ability of the Kurdistan Region to attract FDI. To conduct the study, a representative sample of foreign investors who have invested in the Kurdistan Region was selected using random sampling based on the size and sector of the investment. The sample included investors who have used the one-stop shop in the Kurdistan region. The study used a survey questionnaire to gather data from the investors on their perceptions of the impact of the one-stop shop on their decision to invest in the Kurdistan Region. The results of the study suggest that the introduction of the one-stop shop has had a positive impact on the ability of the Kurdistan Region to attract FDI. The majority of investors who have used the one-stop shop reported that it was a helpful and convenient service, and a significant percentage of them indicated that the availability of the one-stop shop was a factor in their decision to invest in the region. Overall, the findings of this study suggest that the one-stop shop has been an effective tool for the Kurdistan Region in attracting FDI. The study recommends that the region continue to invest in and support the one-stop shop, as it appears to be a valuable resource for investors. Future research could further explore the specific factors that contribute to the effectiveness of the one-stop shop in attracting FDI and ways in which the service could be improved.

Background: Surgical approaches used in the treatment of patients with severe lumbar spondylolisthesis( Grade II and Grade III)are usually associated with a great deal of controversies. The objective of the study was to assessthe surgicaloutcomes of severe Lumbar spondylolisthesis treated with either pedicle screw fixation,reduction and fusion or instrumented Fusion in-situ. Methods: We retrospectively studied 32 patients (20 females and 12males),whohadsevere lumbar spondylolisthesis. All patients were divided in two groups (group Areduction and fusionand group B fusion in-situ).The mean follow-up period was 6 months. Radiological and clinical outcomes were measured by slip percentage, slip angle correction rate, Oswestry Disability index(ODI), visual analogue scale (VAS). Data was analyzed by SPSS version 22.0 Results: The analysis of the preoperative visits and final follow-up of all patients indicated that vertebral reduction and fusioncould slightly enhance the surgicaloutcome in comparison to instrumentedfusion in situ. Preoperative and Postoperative data was collected in all patients and found VAS from7.76to 2.08 in group-A and VAS from 8.5 preoperative to 2.4 postoperative in group-B and ODI from69.42% to 20.06 % in group-Aand 70.9% to 22% in group-B and mean slipcorrection rate was59.8 % . There wasno single caseof loss of reduction. Conclusion: The reduction, fusion and spinal decompression enhances surgical outcome and it can be concluded thatsuch procedure is slightly superior over fusionin situ.Excellent and good levels of satisfaction were observed in all group-A patients,although surgical time was slightly more than fusion in-situ group.

In the present research work, roots of Avena sativa were analysed for different biological activities including phytochemicals, antidiabatic, antioxidant and cytotoxic properties. The qualitative phytochemicals study showed that alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, tannins, terpenoids, and saponins were present. By spectroscopic technique the flavonoid and phenolic contents were found to be in the range of 3.09 to 14.1 mg/100 g of catechin equivalent and 120.34 to 266.32 mg/100g gallic acid equivalent, respectively. The inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation assays and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl scavenging assay were also conducted. For the evaluation of antimicrobial activity the disc diffusion method was used against the selected bacteria, i.e. Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and fungal strains, i.e. Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus solani. The findings from the zone of inhibition were found to be in the range of 4–20 mm with minimum inhibitory concentration (175–376 μg/ml) for bacterial strains and against fungal strains antimicrobial activity was found in the range of 11–28 mm with minimum inhibitory concentration (13.5–287 μg/ml), respectively. Haemolytic activity against RBC and thrombolytic activity were evaluated and the results were found in safe range. The antidiabetic property of selected plant was also checked by alpha amylase inhibition assay and found in the range of 0.635–23.08 as percentage inhibition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. As such, there are recognized guidelines in the screening of this preventable cancer. There are differences in opinion regarding screening recommendations between the European and United States Cancer Prevention Societies. Screening colonoscopy is an option for routine screening for colorectal cancer in asymptomatic adults. It is a day procedure that is conducted both in hospital and specialized outpatient endoscopy suites. Serious harm is in the region of 3 per 1,000 examinations [Am J Gastroenterol. 2016 Aug; 111(8): 1092–101]. Splenic injury is a rare complication of colonoscopy whose frequency is unclear. Conservative management of splenic injury is desirable in order to preserve immunocompetence. We present a case in which a previously healthy 59-year-old female developed a splenic injury and later pleural effusion after screening colonoscopy.

In this work, theoretical analysis of a non-homogeneous non-identical optical directional coupler with electrical control is presented. A proposed way of applying the electric fields on the couplers is reported. It is shown that for couplers production, two electrode sections with interaction lengths in the interval 1μm < L < 1.4 μm should be used. The possible instability of control voltages in the proposed coupler is determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Materials for integrated optics are glasses, electro-optical crystals or some materials with nonlinear properties. Compared with fiber optics communication lines, integrated optics devices are short so which results in a reduction in the energy losses in direct waveguides. The high level of integration results in very sharp bending of the waveguides. Therefore, bending losses become the dominant ones. In the case of so called pure bending loss, which is the tunneling of the modal field to a propagation region outside the bend, the usual measures against this power transfer are offsetting, coherent coupling and the phase front acceleration. No one of them is perfect, but the last one could be the best. The difficulties in implementation of this method are high gradients in the index of refraction and very thin layers of gradient optics elements which are necessary for the wave front correction. We propose a simple technological solution which can help to reach minimum possible bending loss with relatively small gradient of the refraction index. The calculated optimized gradient is applied to the whole set of parallel waveguides in the bending instead of the individual phase front correction in every waveguide. The second half of the bending loss problem is the transient loss caused by radiation modes excited by sharp changes in the radius of curvature. For this case the best configuration of the waveguide bending is proposed and compared with other configurations. In both cases the theoretical minimum of the bending loss is defined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defects created in p-metal-oxide-semiconductor-field-effect transistors by substrate-hole injection are studied. Both fast and slow interface states are found to be created during the holes injection process. After terminating the stress and applying positive gate bias, fast interface states are found to keep increasing, while slow states reduction and trapped holes annihilation are observed. The build up of fast interface states during and post stress is a consequence of holes injection and annihilation. However, the trapped holes have no influence on the number of slow states present in the oxide. The effect of trapped holes annihilation on both fast and slow states suggests that their formation mechanisms are not the same. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study was conducted to collate and compare a 1 year post-surgical radiographic outcome of posterior spinalinstrumentation and correction in the coronal plane with the use of pedicle screws against hybrid fixation in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. Methods: Cross-sectional study involving 34 patients who underwent scoliosis correction. The variables were measured pre-operatively, immediately post surgery and in two 6 monthly OPD follow-ups. Data analysis of data was conducted in SPSS version 20. Results: Average major curve was corrected from 58.0 ± 13.0° pre-op to 16.0 ± 9.0° using pedicle screws fixation and increased to 18.4 ± 8.6° at first year follow-up and using hybrid construct, thenormal major curve was corrected from 62.0 ± 13.0° pre-op to 18.0 ± 8.0° and increased to 22 ± 9°. By 1 year of follow-up, differences were apparent between the two groups considering the curvature in the coronal plane. Conclusion: Cobbs angles between pre-operative and post operative correction and 1-year radiographic follow-up evaluation was better in the instrumentation fixation using pedicle screws compared to hybrid instrumentation. Using pedicle screws there was a correction loss of 12.5% as compared to the 16.6% using hybrid fixation Pedicle screw instrumentation. Pedicle screw fixation also has the advantage of allowing three dimensional correction of deformity.

We apply the reproducing kernel method and group preserving scheme for investigating the Lane–Emden equation. The reproducing kernel method is implemented by the useful reproducing kernel functions and the numerical approximations are given. These approximations demonstrate the preciseness of the investigated techniques.

The advances in digital health, including mobile healthcare (mHealth) medication adherence applications (MApps), have been demonstrated to support medication adherence and improve health outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge and perception of the MApps among pharmacists and pharmacy students. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among 223 pharmacists and pharmacy students in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia between 1st and 30th April 2023. The survey collected information about the participants' socio-demographics, knowledge, and perception of the MApps. Among the 223 participants included in the study, 105 (47.1%) were pharmacists and 118 (52.9%) were pharmacy students. Most participants were females (72.6%) and aged 18-30 (70.4%). About half of the participants had poor knowledge of the MApps [pharmacists (48.0%) and students (42.0%)] and mainly encountered Medisafe (18.1%) or Pills (17.0%) MApps, respectively. Pharmacy students showed significantly higher knowledge of MApps (p = 0.048), especially the Pills (p = 0.022) than pharmacists. However, the pharmacists had significantly higher knowledge of MyMeds (p = 0.001) than pharmacy students. Most participants had a positive perception of the usefulness of the MApps (pharmacists, 79.0%; students 80.0%). Notably, over 85% of the participants expressed willingness to know and provide guidance on MApps, with over 50% willing to recommend it to the patients. There was no significant difference in perception between the pharmacists and pharmacy students (p>0.05). In conclusion, the study demonstrates limited knowledge with a positive perception of mHealth medication adherence applications among pharmacists and pharmacy students. Integrating digital adherence tools like the MApps into pharmacy training could significantly improve professional practice mHealth competencies, and optimize healthcare delivery and patient outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Rehman et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Regulatory and professional nursing associations have an important role in ensuring that nurses provide safe, competent, and ethical care and are capable of adapting to emerging phenomena that influence society and population health needs. Telehealth and more recently virtual care are 2 digital health modalities that have gained momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic. Telehealth refers to telecommunications and digital communication technologies used to deliver health care, support health care provider and patient education, and facilitate self-care. Virtual care facilitates the delivery of health care services via any remote communication between patients and health care providers and among health care providers, either synchronously or asynchronously, through information and communication technologies. Despite nurses' adaptability to delivering virtual care, many have also reported challenges., Objective: This study aims to describe resources about virtual care, digital health, and nursing informatics (ie, practice guidelines and fact sheets) available to Canadian nurses through their regulatory and professional associations., Methods: An environmental scan was conducted between March and July 2023. The websites of nursing regulatory bodies across 13 Canadian provinces and territories and relevant nursing and a few nonnursing professional associations were searched. Data were extracted from the websites of these organizations to map out educational materials, training opportunities, and guidelines made available for nurses to learn and adapt to the ongoing digitalization of the health care system. Information from each source was summarized and analyzed using an inductive content analysis approach to identify categories and themes. The Virtual Health Competency Framework was applied to support the analysis process., Results: Seven themes were identified: (1) types of resources available about virtual care, (2) terminologies used in virtual care resources, (3) currency of virtual care resources identified, (4) requirements for providing virtual care between provinces, (5) resources through professional nursing associations and other relevant organizations, (6) regulatory guidance versus competency in virtual care, and (7) resources about digital health and nursing informatics. Results also revealed that practice guidance for delivering telehealth existed before the COVID-19 pandemic, but it was further expanded during the pandemic. Differences were noted across available resources with respect to terms used (eg, telenursing, telehealth, or virtual care), types of documents (eg, guideline vs fact sheet), and the depth of information shared. Only 2 associations provided comprehensive telenursing practice guidelines. Resources relative to digital health and nursing informatics exist, but variations between provinces were also noted., Conclusions: The use of telehealth and virtual care services is becoming mainstream in Canadian health care. Despite variations across jurisdictions, the existing nursing practice guidance resources for delivering telehealth and virtual care are substantial and can serve as a beginning step for developing a standardized set of practice requirements or competencies to inform nursing practice and the education of future nurses., (©Manal Kleib, Antonia Arnaert, Lynn M Nagle, Elizabeth Mirekuwaa Darko, Sobia Idrees, Daniel da Costa, Shamsa Ali. Originally published in JMIR Medical Education (https://mededu.jmir.org), 13.08.2024.)

Background: Cyclin D1 (CCND1) plays a crucial role in cell cycle regulation and has been implicated in various cancers. As is well known, cancer is caused by the accumulation of detrimental variations in the genome. In this study, we shed light on the role of CCND1 in the diagnosis and progression of cancer and aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of CCND1 across multiple cancer types, focusing on its expression, clinical correlations, DNA methylation status, prognostic implications, genetic alterations, and immune infiltration., Methods: Gene expression analysis of CCND1 was conducted across 33 cancer types using the TIMER, GEPIA, and UALCAN databases. Clinical parameters were investigated to assess their correlations with CCND1 expression. Methylation analysis was performed using the UALCAN and GSCA databases to investigate the relationship between CCND1 promoter methylation and gene expression and their association with survival. Immune infiltration and survival analyses were performed to explore the prognostic implications of CCND1 expression in various cancers. Statistical tests, such as the Cox proportional hazards model and the Kaplan-Meier analysis, were used to assess survival outcomes. Additionally, genetic alteration analysis was performed using the cBioPortal database to examine the prevalence and types of CCND1 alterations across different cancer types., Results: CCND1 expression was significantly elevated in 13 cancers compared to normal tissues, with distinct patterns observed across different cancer types. It is highly expressed in BLCA, CHOL, COAD, ESCA, GBM, HNSC, KIRC, PAAD, RRAD, READ, STAD, THCA, and UCEC. The investigation of clinical parameters revealed associations between CCND1 expression and factors such as age, gender, race, and cancer stage. The methylation analysis highlighted hypomethylation of CCND1 across the 13 selected cancer types. The survival analysis identified both favorable and unfavorable prognostic implications of CCND1 expression in different cancers and revealed that a high expression of CCND1 was associated with a poor prognosis in HNSC and PAAD, while a high expression of CCND1 was associated with a good prognosis in KIRC, STAD, THCA, and UCEC. In the immune infiltration analysis of various cancers, many statistically significant correlations were observed between the immune cell types and tumor purity. For example, in BLCA, neutrophils and dendritic cells showed statistically significant positive correlations and a negative correlation with macrophages. While in CHOL patients, none of the immune cell types showed a significant correlation. Similar statistical significance was observed in other cancer types, such as COAD, HNSC, GBM, KIRC, PAAD, PRAD, READ, and STAD, with different immune cell types. The genetic alteration analysis revealed that amplification was the predominant genetic alteration type in CCND1, with specific patterns observed in different cancer types., Conclusion: The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the role of CCND1 in cancer diagnosis and progression, and its potential for targeted therapies. CCND1 could be used as a potential diagnostic biomarker for the COAD, ESCA, KIRC, READ, STAD, and THCA stages. Furthermore, CCND1 could be used as a potential prognostic biomarker for HNSC, KIRC, and PAAD. Also, the correlation between CCND1 methylation and expression could be used as a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for ESCA, HNSC, and STAD., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Taha et al.)

Background: As technology will continue to play a pivotal role in modern-day health care and given the potential impact on the nursing profession, it is vitally important to examine the types and features of digital health education in nursing so that graduates are better equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills needed to provide safe and quality nursing care and to keep abreast of the rapidly evolving technological revolution., Objective: In this scoping review, we aimed to examine and report on available evidence about digital health education and training interventions for nursing students at the undergraduate and graduate levels., Methods: This scoping review was conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute methodological framework and the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews). A comprehensive search strategy was developed and applied to identified bibliographic databases including MEDLINE (Ovid; 1946 to present), Embase (Ovid; 1974 to present), CINAHL (EBSCOhost; 1936 to present), ERIC (EBSCOhost; 1966 to present), Education Research Complete (EBSCOhost; inception to present), and Scopus (1976 to present). The initial search was conducted on March 3, 2022, and updated searches were completed on January 11, 2023, and October 31, 2023. For gray literature sources, the websites of select professional organizations were searched to identify relevant digital health educational programs or courses available to support the health workforce development. Two reviewers screened and undertook the data extraction process. The review included studies focused on the digital health education of students at the undergraduate or graduate levels or both in a nursing program. Studies that discussed instructional strategies, delivery processes, pedagogical theory and frameworks, and evaluation strategies for digital health education; applied quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods; and were descriptive or discussion papers, with the exception of review studies, were included. Opinion pieces, editorials, and conference proceedings were excluded., Results: A total of 100 records were included in this review. Of these, 94 records were identified from database searches, and 6 sources were identified from the gray literature. Despite improvements, there are significant gaps and limitations in the scope of digital health education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, consequently posing challenges for nursing students to develop competencies needed in modern-day nursing practice., Conclusions: There is an urgent need to expand the understanding of digital health in the context of nursing education and practice and to better articulate its scope in nursing curricula and enforce its application across professional nursing practice roles at all levels and career trajectories. Further research is also needed to examine the impact of digital health education on improving patient outcomes, the quality of nursing care, and professional nursing role advancement., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): RR2-10.11124/JBIES-22-00266., (©Manal Kleib, Antonia Arnaert, Lynn M Nagle, Shamsa Ali, Sobia Idrees, Daniel da Costa, Megan Kennedy, Elizabeth Mirekuwaa Darko. Originally published in JMIR Nursing (https://nursing.jmir.org), 17.07.2024.)

Adaptation is a universal aspect of neural systems that changes circuit computations to match prevailing inputs. These changes facilitate efficient encoding of sensory inputs while avoiding saturation. Conventional artificial neural networks (ANNs) have limited adaptive capabilities, hindering their ability to reliably predict neural output under dynamic input conditions. Can embedding neural adaptive mechanisms in ANNs improve their performance? To answer this question, we develop a new deep learning model of the retina that incorporates the biophysics of photoreceptor adaptation at the front-end of conventional convolutional neural networks (CNNs). These conventional CNNs build on 'Deep Retina,' a previously developed model of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) activity. CNNs that include this new photoreceptor layer outperform conventional CNN models at predicting male and female primate and rat RGC responses to naturalistic stimuli that include dynamic local intensity changes and large changes in the ambient illumination. These improved predictions result directly from adaptation within the phototransduction cascade. This research underscores the potential of embedding models of neural adaptation in ANNs and using them to determine how neural circuits manage the complexities of encoding natural inputs that are dynamic and span a large range of light levels., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Engaging in one's neighborhood fosters independence, promotes social connectedness, improves quality of life, and increases life expectancy in older adults. There is a lack of evidence synthesis on immigrant older adults' neighborhood perceptions and experiences, essential for addressing neighborhood-level influences on aging in place. This study systematically synthesizes qualitative evidence on immigrant older adults' perceptions and experiences of their neighborhoods. A comprehensive search was conducted from inception to 5 April 2023, in multiple databases. This review considered studies including immigrant older adults aged ≥60 years, included studies from any country where the neighborhood was the focus, and only considered qualitative data while excluding review studies, theoretical publications, and protocols. Eligible studies were appraised using the JBI critical appraisal checklist for qualitative research. The Joanna Briggs Institute meta-aggregation approach was used to synthesize findings, and the ConQual approach established confidence in the synthesis. A total of 30 studies were included. Most studies were conducted in North America and explored phenomena such as aging in place, social capital, social cohesion, sense of community, and life satisfaction. Key contextual factors were walkable safe access to social spaces, accessible transportation to amenities, social cohesion with neighbors, and pre-migration neighborhood experiences. Immigrant older adults have varied experiences related to their sense of belonging and social cohesion. Factors such as racial discrimination, feeling unsafe, and social isolation contributed to negative perceptions. This review highlights the need for inclusive neighborhoods that align with the needs and values of immigrant older adults aging in place.

Background: Person-centred planning refers to a model of care in which programs and services are developed in collaboration with persons receiving care (i.e., persons-supported) and tailored to their unique needs and goals. In recent decades, governments around the world have enacted policies requiring community-care agencies to adopt an individualized or person-centred approach to service delivery. Although regional mandates provide a framework for directing care, it is unclear how this guidance is implemented in practice given the diversity and range of organizations within the sector. This study aims to address a gap in the literature by describing how person-centred care plans are implemented in community-care organizations., Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with administrators from community-care organizations in Ontario, Canada. We asked participants about their organization's approach to developing and updating person-centred care plans, including relevant supports and barriers. We analyzed the data thematically using a pragmatic, qualitative, descriptive approach., Results: We interviewed administrators from 12 community-care organizations. We identified three overarching categories or processes related to organizational characteristics and person-centred planning: (1) organizational context, (2) organizational culture, and (3) the design and delivery of person-centred care plans. The context of care and the types of services offered by the organization were directly informed by the needs and characteristics of the population served. The culture of the organization (e.g., their values, attitudes and beliefs surrounding persons-supported) was a key influence in the development and implementation of person-centred care plans. Participants described the person-centred planning process as being iterative and collaborative, involving initial and continued consultations with persons-supported and their close family and friends, while also citing implementation challenges in cases where persons had difficulty communicating, and in cases where they preferred not to have a formal plan in place., Conclusions: The person-centred planning process is largely informed by organizational context and culture. There are ongoing challenges in the implementation of person-centred care plans, highlighting a gap between policy and practice and suggesting a need for comprehensive guidance and enhanced adaptability in current regulations. Policymakers, administrators, and service providers can leverage these insights to refine policies, advocating for inclusive, flexible approaches that better align with diverse community needs., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Lymphoma ranks fifth in prevalence among common cancer types worldwide. This lymphatic system cancer arises from T or B cells. Diffuse large B cell lymphomas (DLBCLs) are associated with most non-Hodgkin lymphomas. Non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) greatly affect gene expression. A single miRNA can target numerous genes, thus largely influencing gene expression networks. MiRNAs can act as oncogenes or tumor suppressors in controlling DLBCL progression. This study investigated the roles of miRNAs in patients with DLBCL through next-generation sequencing, which was found to be sensitive, accurate, and robust., Methods: The study involved seven patients with DLBCLs and three controls at a hematology-oncology clinic. MiRNA was extracted from existing formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue specimens. Illumina next-generation sequencing was used to sequence samples for miRNA profiling., Results: Samples from patients showed expression of various hsa-mir miRNAs (1248, 3607, 21, 142, 1244, 182, 6516, 766, 1291, 4449, and 181a), whereas those from healthy individuals showed expression of hsa-mir 1248, 3607, 21, 142, and 877. Hsa-mir-877-3p is known to target multiple genes, and miRNAs such as hsa-mir-877-3p, hsa-mir-1291, and hsa-mir-181a-5p interact primarily with target genes., Conclusions: MiRNA profiling in FFPE tissues from patients with DLBCL suggested that miRNA levels can distinguish patients with DLBCL from controls, and therefore may provide prognostic or diagnostic biomarkers for DLBCL. Altered genes and miRNAs may also be potential therapeutic targets., (© 2024 The Authors.)