Conectar
by Cecilia Aguilar-Vega, Jaime Bosch, Satoshi Ito, Benjamin Ivorra, Hyunkyu Jeong, José Manuel Sánchez-Vizcaíno
African swine fever (ASF) is a lethal disease of swine that has spread across Asia since its introduction in 2018. South Korea first reported the disease in September 2019 in domestic pigs, and since then, more than 4,000 cases have been reported in wild boars during its expansion up to August 2024. Due to the high number of ASF notifications in wild boars in South Korea, contrasted with their scarcity in most Asian countries, analyzing the spatiotemporal spread of the disease in a setting with active surveillance provides valuable insights. In this study, we performed a trend-surface analysis on temporally gridded case data to characterize the overall geographic spread and direction of ASF in wild boars across South Korea, from its emergence to August 2022. Additionally, we propose a novel approach distinct from previous studies, to estimate spread velocity by incorporating an upper threshold to avoid unrealistic values. The model described the spread of ASF in the study area. The disease showed greater expansion in the east of the country. Initially, a south and eastward direction was estimated. The estimated median velocity was 19.53 km/month, with cell-level velocities ranging from 2.45 to 69.99 km/month. Velocity increased notably from autumn 2021 onward and varied substantially across years. Our results show the dynamics of ASF in wild boars of South Korea, providing new evidence of their role in the epidemiology of the disease.To explore the practical experiences and perceived needs of healthcare professionals in fostering resilience among bereaved parents.
A qualitative descriptive study was conducted.
Twenty-seven healthcare professionals were recruited from the Paediatric Palliative Care Special Group of the Paediatrics Society of the Chinese Medical Association. The participants included 9 physicians, 7 nurses and 11 social workers from 22 hospitals and 5 community-based services. In-depth interviews were conducted between July and December 2022. Data were analysed using content analysis.
Guided by the Society-to-Cells Resilience Theory, this study identified 10 categories of practical experiences and seven of perceived needs, encompassing multiple levels: society (integrating multidisciplinary resource; preserving relevant cultural tradition; advocating for system enhancements; raising public awareness), community (establishing an accessible support network; fostering an inclusive community; offering proactive community support), family (providing anticipatory guidance; enhancing family cohesion; navigating bereavement resources; providing ongoing follow-up and support), individual (evaluating grief-related experiences; offering tailored personal support; sustaining connections; addressing spiritual needs) and physiological (managing body reactions; maintaining physical well-being).
This study provides insights from healthcare professionals, highlighting practices and identifying significant gaps in current approaches to building resilience in bereaved parents. The findings suggest that resilience is a socially constructed, multidimensional process that can be nurtured through a holistic approach to better support this vulnerable group.
The study's findings lay the foundation for developing targeted interventions to foster resilience among bereaved parents. A holistic, empowering approach is essential to strengthen their coping mechanisms and facilitate healing at multiple levels, ultimately contributing to the creation of a robust, effective support system for this resilient yet vulnerable population.
This study was about the experiences and perceptions of healthcare providers. It was designed and conducted by researchers who were both researchers and healthcare providers.
To assess the global burden of pressure injuries from 1990 to 2021 and project trends to 2050.
A cross-sectional survey.
Using the Global Burden of Disease 2021 data from 204 countries (1990–2021), we performed a multilevel analysis incorporating age-period-cohort modelling, stochastic frontier analysis and Bayesian projections to 2050. Key metrics included age-standardised incidence rates, disability-adjusted life years and socio-demographic index stratification.
Global incident cases increased by 160.3%, from 1.22 million to 3.18 million. By 2050, cases are expected to reach 8.4 million, with 72.4% in low-middle socio-demographic index areas. Mortality among those aged 95 and older may triple.
The study emphasises the need for global collaboration to address the burden of pressure injuries through equitable prevention and improved healthcare infrastructure, especially in ageing and resource-limited regions.
The escalating global burden of pressure injuries in geriatric populations necessitates evidence-based approaches to optimise healthcare resource allocation and advance nursing-led prevention frameworks.
The STROBE checklist guided reporting.
Global Burden of Disease collaborators extracted the data and analysed it.
by Yongxin Sun, Xiaojuan Chen, Xinghua Zhang, Xiaohui Cai
Epilepsy is a prevalent neurological condition that impacts a significant number of individuals worldwide. Patients’ physical and mental health, as well as their daily activities, are significantly affected by seizures, necessitating prompt diagnosis and treatment. The automatic detection of epilepsy using electroencephalogram (EEG) signals has been a significant area of research. Nevertheless, the majority of current methods are based on intricate feature engineering processes that require the extraction and selection of a large number of features to identify the most discriminative feature sets. This results in a high level of algorithmic complexity, inadequate robustness, and inadequate interpretability, which complicates the provision of theoretical support to clinicians. This paper proposes a pathophysiology-driven, interpretable machine learning algorithm to address the limitations of current EEG-based epilepsy detection methods, which include poor interpretability and complex feature engineering. We developed a low-dimensional, interpretable feature combination consisting of only five features and systematically validated its discriminative capability across various epilepsy phases by innovatively integrating electrophysiological markers of epileptic seizures with nonlinear dynamical properties. In the binary classification of seizure versus non-seizure EEG segments, the XGB classifier achieved the highest accuracy of 98.73% and an F1 score of 98.57%. Classification accuracy for interictal versus ictal periods reached 95.33%, with an F1 score of 95.27%. In the challenging ternary classification task encompassing preictal, interictal, and ictal periods, the model achieved a respectable accuracy of 86.3% and an F1 score of 85.79%. Cross-database validation yielded a maximum accuracy of 82.17% and an F1 score of 81.99%, confirming the proposed features’ robust generalization capability and transformative potential. This feature set exhibits outstanding and stable performance across all models, as demonstrated by evaluations across two public datasets using five machine learning classifiers. In addition, SHAP values quantified the contribution of each feature to predictions, thereby providing a transparent decision-making rationale that substantially improves the algorithm’s interpretability and clinical utility.To explore how, under what circumstances and why telerehabilitation can improve adherence to pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with chronic respiratory diseases.
A realist review.
Embase, MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched from inception to 2 July 2024 to identify relevant literature.
Initial programme theory was developed through research team meeting, informal literature reading and the use of Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behaviour model. After completing the literature search, key evidence was appraised, extracted and synthesised into context-mechanism-outcome configurations.
The review included 23 studies. Seven context-mechanism-outcome configurations were identified. Accessibility and convenience of pulmonary rehabilitation; social interaction and support; technical support; individuality and flexibility of program; getting feedback and seeing results; real-time monitoring of diseases; and diverse motivational incentives were found to be critical for telerehabilitation to improve adherence to pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with chronic respiratory diseases.
This review explains the key mechanisms by which telerehabilitation improves adherence to pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with chronic respiratory diseases, which may contribute to the development and improvement of future pulmonary telerehabilitation interventions.
The program theory developed in this study may guide researchers and clinical staff in the development or improvement of pulmonary telerehabilitation interventions to improve patients' adherence to pulmonary rehabilitation and further support better pulmonary rehabilitation outcomes.
This study adheres to The RAMESES reporting standards.
No patient or public contribution.
Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/). DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/YWMQ8
To analyse current Glasgow Coma Scale practice among emergency nurses in China and identify factors influencing assessment quality.
A quantitative, multicenter cross-sectional design.
A convenience sample of 1740 emergency nurses from secondary and tertiary hospitals across 21 provinces completed a validated structured questionnaire between March and April 2025. Participants had at least 6 months of emergency nursing experience. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and multiple logistic regression to examine factors influencing correct Glasgow Coma Scale application.
Participants had a mean age of 29.8 years (SD = 6.2). Only 52.5% of nurses demonstrated correct Glasgow Coma Scale application despite 97.0% having theoretical knowledge of scoring criteria. While 56.8% had received Glasgow Coma Scale training, significant standardisation deficiencies emerged. Notably, 41.8% of departments lacked operational guidelines, and 53.7% of nurses experienced scoring disagreements with colleagues. Clinical utilisation varied substantially by patient population: traumatic brain injury (97.8%), neurological diseases (96.9%), and systemic critical illness (85.8%). Multivariate analysis identified six significant factors influencing correct application: standardised training (OR = 2.252, 95% CI: 1.789–2.825), manageable workload ≤ 4 patients/shift (OR = 1.652, 95% CI: 1.327–2.057), departmental guidelines (OR = 1.523, 95% CI: 1.233–1.881), extensive work experience ≥ 9 years (OR = 1.534, 95% CI: 1.182–1.992), while multidisciplinary collaboration issues (OR = 0.559, 95% CI: 0.439–0.712) and special patient experience (OR = 0.520, 95% CI: 0.406–0.666) were associated with reduced accuracy.
Substantial standardisation challenges exist in Glasgow Coma Scale practice among Chinese emergency nurses, characterised by significant gaps between theoretical knowledge and clinical application. Major barriers include insufficient standardised guidelines, inconsistent training approaches, and inadequate interdisciplinary collaboration.
Healthcare administrators should develop national standardised guidelines, implement simulation-based training programs, optimise emergency workflows, and integrate alternative assessment tools to enhance consciousness assessment accuracy and improve patient safety.
STROBE statement adherence.
No patient or public contribution.
To explore how well the primary care system in Scotland works for adults with intellectual disabilities (ID), using the rate of unplanned hospital admissions for ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC) as a proxy indicator. As part of this, to investigate those rates and rate ratios among adults with ID and without ID, adjusting for the prevalence of a given ACSC in each population. The secondary aim was to explore deaths due to ACSC among the ID and no-ID populations.
A population-based retrospective cohort data linkage study of adult respondents to Scotland’s 2011 Census. Self-reported or proxy-reported ID status from the Census was linked to hospital admissions data and deaths data. The cohort was followed until the end of 2019. The prevalence of ACSCs in each population was calculated from aggregate-level data published by the National Health Service, as it was not possible to use the linked dataset for this purpose.
Whole population of Scotland.
People aged 18+ on census day (27 March 2011), including all adults with ID (n=16 840) and a 15% randomly selected comparator sample of adults without ID (n=566 074).
Crude and age-sex standardised incidence rates and ratios; cumulative incidence; prevalence ratios. The exposure was ID status, and the outcomes were (1) unplanned ACSC hospital admission, (2) death with an ACSC condition listed as the main cause on the death certificate and (3) death with an ACSC condition listed as one of the causes on the death certificate.
Adults with ID under the age of 55 had only a slightly higher risk of an unplanned ACSC hospitalisation than their general population counterparts (standardised incidence ratio 1.11; 95% CI 1.03 to 1.20). After adjusting for different ACSC prevalence in ID and non-ID cohorts, this difference in risk disappeared. These findings contrast with existing evidence from England, where a much higher unadjusted risk of unplanned ACSC hospitalisations was found among people with ID. Adults with ID had a higher risk of dying due to ACSC than adults without ID (standardised mortality ratio 2.54; 95% CI 2.19 to 2.95).
Our findings on unplanned ACSC hospitalisations suggest that the primary care system in Scotland appears to be similarly effective for adults with ID than for adults without ID. However, the higher risk of dying from ACSC among people with ID suggests that this system is less effective for people with ID. Future research should investigate this tension and aim to understand why the operation of the primary healthcare system seems to be worse with regards to ACSC mortality than with regards to unplanned ACSC hospitalisations.
by Caio R. Monteiro, Victor Augusto de Oliveira, Rabeche Schmith, João Pedro A. Rezende, Tales L. Resende, João A. Negrão, Marina A. C. Danés
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of rumen-protected methionine (RPM) supplementation on productive and physiological responses of primiparous Holstein cows during summer. We hypothesized that RPM supplementation would maintain or improve milk yield and composition due to beneficial physiological, redox, and inflammatory responses in cows exposed to summer heat. The trial was conducted in a randomized block design during nine weeks in Brazil using 80 primiparous cows (182 ± 64 DIM; 42.9 ± 4.7 kg/d milk). Cows were blocked by milk yield and DIM and assigned to a control diet (CON; no added RPM) or the same diet supplemented with RPM (Mepron®, Evonik) at 0.75 g/kg diet dry matter, targeting 20 g/cow/day (product contains 62% metabolizable methionine) to the average cow. Milk yield and composition, vaginal temperature, respiratory rate, and plasma samples were collected in weeks 3, 6, and 9. Data were analyzed using mixed models including treatment, week, and their interaction as fixed effects, and block and cow as random effects. Cows were maintained under naturally occurring summer conditions. Environmental monitoring during weeks 3, 6, and 9 indicated elevated temperature–humidity index (THI) values, with values remaining above the heat-stress threshold (THI > 68) for 68.3% of the monitored hours (mean THI = 70.6; range 61.0–84.4). Overall (least squares mean across weeks 3, 6, and 9), RPM increased milk yield by 2.0 kg/d (44.9 vs. 42.9 kg/d), protein yield by 50 g/d (1,464 vs. 1,414 g/d), lactose yield by 108 g/d (2,109 vs. 2,001 g/d), and total solids yield by 176 g/d (5,331 vs. 5,155 g/d). Lactose concentration was lower in RPM (4.71 vs. 4.76%). Fat yield was unaffected, but a treatment × week interaction was observed for fat content. Milk fatty acid (FA) profile was unchanged, although treatment × week interactions were observed for individual fatty acids (C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, and preformed FA). Plasma glucose was lower, and insulin was higher in RPM than in CON cows (39.3 vs. 43.2 mg/dL and 0.52 vs. 0.35 ng/mL, respectively). Antioxidant capacity improved, with RPM cows having greater ferric reducing antioxidant power (32.9 vs. 28.5 µM) and lower malondialdehyde (2.48 vs. 2.78 nmol/mL). Other biochemical, inflammatory, and immune markers were unaffected. Respiratory rate was slightly higher in RPM than in CON cows (55 vs. 50 breaths/min). Mean vaginal temperature did not differ between treatments; however, a treatment × time × hour interaction was observed. Supplementation with RPM improved milk and solids yield, and enhanced antioxidant capacity and insulin levels, supporting its use to improve metabolic resilience under warm conditions.by Jimmy Andreyvan Cainamarks-Alejandro, Liliana Cruz-Ausejo, Miguel Angel Burgos-Flores, Jaime Rosales-Rimache, Jonh Astete-Cornejo, David Villarreal-Zegarra
BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic marked an increase in depressive, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, more specifically among healthcare workers, teachers, and police officers. These workers face external and occupational factors which had a significant impact on mental health, significant increase in workload and direct exposure to the virus, shortage of personnel protective equipment, and instances of abuse, including discrimination. Mental health care in primary care requires a process of early identification and timely referral of complex cases. Telehealth emerges as an effective alternative for addressing challenges in mental health care, although its implementation encounters obstacles.
ObjectiveTo design a telehealth service that facilitates screening, initial management, and timely referral for mental health diagnoses in workers with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, and to evaluate usability, acceptability, and user satisfaction.
MethodsMixed-method study with a user-centered design approach involving key external and internal service users in three sequential stages (pre-design, co-design, and post-design). The study phases lasted 6 months, involving a total of 23 participants in the pre-design phase (contextual inquiry and preparation and training), 12 participants in the co-design phase (framing the issue, generative design, and sharing design), and in the post-design phase, 4 participants were involved in service implementation, and 81 participants—drawn from the subgroup of 134 users who received psychoeducation—were included in the efficacy assessment.
ResultsThe proposal included the development and evaluation of a service model guide and a telehealth software platform. First, the participants took part in a series of workshops (Pre-design, Co-design) where they provided ideas for meeting the product requirements, based on the Design Thinking methodology framework. The telehealth service model was named TelePsico CENSOPAS. It comprised four processes: a) Service promotion; b) User pre-identification; c) Appointment management; d) Psychoeducation counseling and referral. The Telehealth platform was designed through three cycles of an iterative process and integrated a proprietary development platform with third-party service technologies for communication support and information exchange. During post-design, the pilot test involved 698 screened patients; 193 were identified with mental health risks, and 134 of them received psychoeducation sessions. In addition to user acceptance, the usability score of the platform was 86.1 ± 16.9 SD, satisfaction dimensions of the service was 45.1 ± 7.2 SD for satisfaction with care processes, and 36.7 ± 5.2 SD satisfaction with psychological care.
ConclusionThe proposal for mental health telehealth services and its supporting platform was successfully developed and accepted by both internal and external users, particularly within well-structured occupational health services in workplaces serving vulnerable occupational groups. In addition, it achieved higher satisfaction and usability scores than Peru’s outpatient care services. These findings support the replicability of user-centered design frameworks—such as design thinking—within the occupational health sphere.
This study aims to explore the views and experiences of people with dementia, informal caregivers and professionals regarding eating and drinking difficulties.
A qualitative systematic review was conducted.
The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis guidelines were used to conduct this systematic review. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research, and the data were thematically synthesised using Thomas and Harden's three-stage method.
Six electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CINAHL and PsycINFO) were searched from their respective inception dates to August 2025 to identify relevant studies.
Thematic analysis of the 16 included studies identified four key themes: (1) Physiological and psychological changes in people with dementia and caregivers; (2) factors influencing eating and drinking in people with dementia; (3) needs and recommendations for people with dementia, informal caregivers and professionals; (4) selection of eating methods for end-stage people with dementia.
Eating and drinking difficulties affect the well-being of both patients and caregivers. A good dining environment improves mealtime pleasure but demands caregivers' time and energy. All parties emphasised the importance of effective communication. In end-stage dementia, professional assistance is crucial for enteral nutrition decisions.
Collaboration among patients, caregivers and professionals is vital for creating tailored nutritional plans and improving mealtime environments, thereby enhancing nutritional intake. In advanced dementia, providers must provide balanced information on comfort feeding versus enteral nutrition to aid decision-making.
What problems were addressed in this study? This study addressed the lack of a consolidated, tri-perspective understanding of eating and drinking difficulties in dementia care settings. What are the main findings? Four key themes were identified: physiological and psychological changes, influencing factors, stakeholder needs and end-of-life decision-making. Where and on whom will the research have an impact? This will impact care practices for people with dementia and inform the training and support of informal caregivers and healthcare professionals.
This study aimed to investigate the network structural characteristics of self-efficacy and professional resilience among emergency nurses, identify core nodes within the network, and elucidate the key interactive mechanisms between these constructs.
Descriptive cross-sectional study.
A multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted from January to February 2025, involving 612 emergency nurses from 20 hospitals in Sichuan, China. Data were collected using a self-administered demographic questionnaire, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Chinese Emergency Nurse Professional Resilience Tool. An adjacent network integrating professional resilience and self-efficacy was developed. Key covariates—including title, position, tenure in the hospital or emergency department, education, and exposure to workplace violence—were included as control variables. Network precision and stability were evaluated using the correlation stability coefficient and confidence intervals for edge weights. To further test the robustness of the network model, sensitivity analyses were performed by adding each significant covariate to the original model. The Network Comparison Test was then used to compare the covariate-adjusted and unadjusted networks, assessing differences in network structure, overall strength, and edge weights.
The analysis identified S9 as the central node in the network. The overall network showed satisfactory stability and precision. The Network Comparison Test showed no significant differences in network structure or global strength between the adjusted and unadjusted models, indicating that the network was stable and robust to covariate adjustment.
This network analysis revealed the interaction mechanisms between self-efficacy and professional resilience among emergency nurses through contemporaneous network modelling and identified S9 as the core node, suggesting that this coping strategy plays a key role in regulating psychological resources. The overall network demonstrated good stability and precision, with no statistically significant differences between the adjusted and unadjusted models according to the Network Comparison Test. These findings indicate that the network structure was robust to covariate adjustment and provide a reference for developing and optimising intervention strategies to enhance professional resilience among emergency nurses.
For Emergency Nurses and the Management of Emergency Nursing Practice: What problem does this study address?
This study addresses the gap in understanding how self-efficacy and occupational resilience interact in emergency nurses under high-stress conditions.
A contemporaneous network analysis revealed a central node linking self-efficacy and resilience, highlighting key pathways in their mutual influence.
The findings offer practical guidance for emergency nursing management, supporting the development of targeted strategies to strengthen nurses' resilience, enhance professional competence, and improve the quality of emergency care.
This study is reported using the STROBE guidelines.
No Patient or Public Involvement: This study did not include patient or public involvement in its design, conduct, or reporting.
To explore how factors in the complex aortic surgical care context can affect care provision towards patients' postoperative recovery.
Secondary qualitative analysis.
Results about patients' recovery after complex aortic surgery was presented in focus groups with healthcare professionals in 2022. Reflexive thematic analysis, using the Fundamentals of Care framework, was conducted to explore contextual factors affecting care provision.
Healthcare professionals' descriptions resulted in one main theme: Care provision is challenged by discrepancies in values, goals and norms and unclear responsibilities within the context, and two subthemes: Values, goals and norms determine what care is provided; Taking responsibility for care requires resources, evaluation and feedback.
Healthcare professionals describe care provision as affected by a dynamic integration of contextual factors. Healthcare professionals need to be made aware of their own role in this context. Care provision needs to be guided by feedback from patients and healthcare professionals, and work with patients' resources at both an individual, system and societal level.
The results provide knowledge regarding how contextual factors in dynamic integration can affect care provision in a complex surgical context. Healthcare professionals, leaders and policy makers all have responsibility to focus on patients' values and goals, and empower adequate care through feedback loops and resource management.
The context-of-care dimension of the Fundamentals of Care framework has been scarcely described. Our results illustrate how an integration of factors affects care provision, where values, goals, and norms affect what care is provided, and responsibility for care belongs to everyone in the care system. The results can contribute to the description of the context-of-care dimension within the framework and enable professionals to understand how they, as part of the context, could affect care towards patient recovery.
This study adhered to the Equator research reporting checklist: Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research: a 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups.
No patient or public contribution.
To investigate the impact of residual refraction within ±1.0 dioptre (D) on uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) in pseudophakic eyes.
Cross-sectional study.
This study was based on retrospectively collected electronic refraction records from a tertiary care academic ophthalmology centre in southern China between May 2022 and July 2025.
Patients aged ≥40 years who underwent uneventful phacoemulsification cataract surgery with in-the-bag monofocal intraocular lens implantation and achieved a postoperative corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) of ≤0.1 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution were enrolled. They were stratified by astigmatism subtypes: minimal astigmatism (
Postoperative evaluation (≥1 month) included spherical equivalent (SE) refraction, UDVA and CDVA. UDVA was compared across eyes with SE intervals of 0.50 D within ±1.0 D. ORs were calculated to assess the relative risk of failing to achieve a UDVA of 0.1 or better for postoperative SE within ±1.0 D, using 0.00 D as the reference.
The study included 1333 eyes from 1333 patients (mean (SD) age, 66.1 (8.96) years; 532 male (39.9%)). Overall, and particularly in the minimal astigmatism (
The impact of refractive errors (≤1.0 D) on UDVA was associated with the magnitude and type of astigmatism. Residual astigmatism of ≥0.50 D exerted a significant negative effect on UDVA. A plano SE (0 D) was optimal for minimum and WTR astigmatism, whereas slight hyperopia yielded superior UDVA in ATR and oblique astigmatism.
Racialised immigrant communities in Western nations face disproportionate risks for sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) due to systemic barriers, including racism, stigma and limited access to culturally appropriate care. While the need is well-established, a comprehensive synthesis of effective, culturally responsive sexual health interventions is lacking. This scoping review aims to map the available evidence on sexual health intervention needs and protective factors of racialised immigrants, and to identify and describe existing culturally appropriate programmes in Western nations.
The review will follow the JBI methodology for scoping reviews and be reported as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. A systematic search strategy, developed and peer-reviewed by a health sciences librarian, will be executed in MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and Scopus, alongside grey literature sources, with no date limit. Two independent reviewers will screen titles/abstracts and full texts against the inclusion criteria. Data will be extracted using a standardised tool, analysed via narrative synthesis and framed by a socio-ecological model to categorise interventions across individual, interpersonal, community and structural levels.
Ethical approval is not required for this review. Findings will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication, academic presentations and tailored summaries for community organisations and policy-makers to ensure practical application.
Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/9qah6).
Concha-type microtia, classified as a milder form of microtia under Nagata’s classification, is characterised by the presence of more normal ear subunits compared with other types. The non-expanded auricular reconstruction using autologous rib cartilage is a standard procedure treating conchal microtia, and this operation typically comprises two stages. To maximise the utilisation of native auricular cartilage, the lower half of a patient’s ear is preserved as residual ear, which should be connected to the rib cartilage scaffold in this operation. However, it remains unclear whether this connection should be performed in the first-stage or second-stage surgery. Current literature lacks sufficient evidence to determine the safer and more effective approach. Thus, we plan to conduct this randomised controlled trial to formally compare the safety and efficacy of first-stage versus second-stage connection, hypothesising that second-stage connection may be a better choice since it may reduce skin cutting, operative risk and improve recovery.
This is a single-centre, randomised controlled trial comparing two surgical treatments. Based on sample size calculations, a total of 78 eligible patients will be randomised with a 1:1 allocation. The control group will be treated with connecting the residual ear with the framework in stage 1, while the experimental group will be treated with connecting the residual ear with the framework in stage 2.
The safety of the surgery will be evaluated based on the grade-A healing rate and the incidence of complications (infection, haematoma, flap or skin necrosis and cartilage scaffold exposure). Efficacy of the surgery will be assessed using the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS) and Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI) scores. Patients will be scheduled for follow-up 3–6 months after each surgery. Descriptive analyses will be performed to summarise baseline demographics. The incidence of grade-A healing and complications will be analysed using the 2 test. GBI and POSAS scores of the two groups will be analysed using independent-samples t test. A p value
This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital (no. 2025-256-1) on 9 April 2025, and conformed to the Declaration of Helsinki. At the time of manuscript submission, patient recruitment began in April 2025 and is expected to continue until January 2027. Surgical procedures and follow-up will continue until February 2028. Trial results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and will be disseminated to the media and the public.
To explore the network characteristics of symptom clusters in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus through network analysis, identify the core and bridging symptoms within the symptom network, and provide a foundation for targeted interventions and symptom management in people with T2DM.
A cross-sectional survey.
A total of 360 people with T2DM who were hospitalised in the endocrinology departments of two hospitals with Grade A in Daqing City between August 2024 and February 2025 were selected using a convenience sampling method. The symptoms of people with T2DM were measured using the Chinese version of the Diabetes Symptom Checklist-Revised (DSC-R). Symptom clusters were identified through factor analysis, and network analysis was used to identify core and bridging symptoms. This research adhered to the STROBE guidelines.
Six symptom clusters were obtained from factor analysis, which were psychological-behavioural symptom cluster, ophthalmological-neuropathy symptom cluster, cardiovascular symptom cluster, metabolic symptom cluster, body symptom cluster and nephrotic symptom cluster. Symptom network analysis revealed that ‘Deteriorating vision’ exhibited the highest strength centrality and expected influence. The top three symptoms with the highest bridge strength and bridge expected influence were ‘Aching calves when walking’, ‘Queer feeling in the legs or feet’ and ‘Sleepiness or drowsiness’.
People with T2DM commonly exhibit a range of symptoms. ‘Deteriorating vision’ is the most core symptom in people with T2DM. ‘Aching calves when walking’, ‘Queer feeling in the legs or feet’ and ‘Sleepiness or drowsiness’ are identified as the bridging symptoms in the network analysis. Healthcare professionals can design targeted interventions based on symptom clusters, core symptoms and bridging symptoms, thereby improving the efficiency of symptom management and optimising outcomes for people with T2DM.
No patient or public contribution.
Identify and describe patient engagement interventions used to improve medication management in older adults during transitions of care.
A mixed-methods systematic review.
A comprehensive search of all study designs was conducted. Studies were categorised using the ladder of patient and family engagement, a framework that positions engagement from low (passive) to high (active partnership) patient engagement.
Six databases were searched from inception to April 2024.
The search yielded 29 reports, with 25 classified as studies. Most interventions (n = 19, 76%) were low-level interventions that comprised informing patients in a passive manner. Interventions that facilitated high-level engagement (n = 6, 24%) where patients were integrated in the decision-making process were associated with consistently improved patient and healthcare long-term outcomes.
While low and high-level engagement interventions were associated with significantly decreased hospital readmission rates, high-level interventions consistently demonstrated positive patient outcomes. Interventions supporting older adults beyond discharge achieved meaningful and lasting patient and healthcare outcomes for older adults.
Findings provide clinical reference for designing engagement interventions, highlighting long-term benefits of partnership-based approaches and continuity beyond discharge.
Engagement in medication management during transitions of care varied significantly. High-level engagement was consistently linked to improved patient and healthcare outcomes but was often resource intensive. This review identifies the need to design balanced interventions that align with the preferences of older adults and real-world contextual healthcare settings.
PRISMA guidelines.
No patient or public contribution.
PROSPERO (registration number CRD42024557385).
FreshRSS 