Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Jeffrey M. Singh, Ian M. Ball, Michael Hartwick, Eli Malus, Karim Soliman, John G. Boyd, Sonny Dhanani, Andrew Healey
Summary: This study identified modifiable factors influencing consent for organ donation, including phone contact and collaboration with physicians. Organizations should target interventions to ensure prompt reporting to organ donation organizations, promote in-person approaches, and encourage physician involvement in the approach process.
CANADIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Deanna Saylor, Melissa Elafros, David Bearden, Ifunanya Dallah, Manoj Mathews, Godfrey Muchanga, Mwangala Mwale, Musaku Mwenechanya, Omar K. Siddiqi, Peter J. Winch, Somwe Wa Somwe, Gretchen L. Birbeck
Summary: The study conducted in Zambia identified multiple factors contributing to the delay in lumbar puncture and cerebrospinal fluid diagnostics, including patient-related, clinician-related, and health systems-related factors. Efforts to improve the situation should focus on increasing patient/proxy willingness to consent, improving clinician LP competencies, and addressing issues in the health system.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Jeffrey M. Singh, Ian M. Ball, Michael Hartwick, Eli Malus, Karim Soliman, John G. Boyd, Sonny Dhanani, Andrew Healey
Summary: The study identified modifiable factors associated with consent for organ donation, including a telephone consent approach and collaborative approach by a physician and donation coordinator. Organizations should focus on interventions to ensure timely referrals, increase in-person consent approaches, and enhance physician participation in the approach process.
CANADIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Jon F. Merz
Summary: In their recent paper, Al and colleagues argue that manipulating recruitment methods for increased enrollment can be ethically acceptable. However, this response challenges this notion, arguing that it compromises voluntariness and devalues the ethics of human subjects research.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Kimberly Sturk-Andreaggi, Martin Bodner, Joseph D. Ring, Adam Ameur, Ulf Gyllensten, Walther Parson, Charla Marshall, Marie Allen
Summary: The study analyzed the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) reads from the SweGen whole genome sequencing dataset to characterize mitogenome variation in Sweden. A total of 934 forensic-quality mitogenome haplotypes were identified, with almost 45% belonging to haplogroup H. The majority (99.1%) of the mitogenome haplotypes were assigned to European haplogroups, as expected. The study also observed signature haplogroups from northern Sweden and Finland, consistent with previous nuclear DNA analyses. The complete mitogenome analysis showed high haplotype diversity and a low random match probability.
Article
Ethics
Tetsuya Yumoto, Takashi Hongo, Yasuhiro Koide, Takafumi Obara, Kohei Tsukahara, Hiromichi Naito, Atsunori Nakao
Summary: Individual health-related beliefs can greatly impact the patient-clinician relationship. Conflicts between patient preferences and medical care recommendations create ethical dilemmas, especially in emergencies. Saving the patient's life should be prioritized, but the validity of advance directives should be considered.
BMC MEDICAL ETHICS
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Holly L. Peay, Angela You Gwaltney, Rebecca Moultrie, Heidi Cope, Beth Lincoln-Boyea, Katherine Ackerman Porter, Martin Duparc, Amir A. Alexander, Barbara B. Biesecker, Aminah Isiaq, Jennifer Check, Lisa Gehtland, Donald B. Bailey Jr, Nancy M. P. King
Summary: A challenge in implementing population-based DNA screening is providing sufficient information and support for informed decision making. In a newborn screening study, electronic education and consent were developed to address the objectives of feasibility, acceptability, trustworthiness, and informed decisions. The study showed high acceptability, trustworthiness, and knowledge recall among participants, emphasizing the importance of early knowledge and intervention.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Elina Bryngemark, Patrik Soderholm, Martina Thorn
Summary: The paper aims to investigate the factors influencing the adoption of green public procurement (GPP) practices at the local authority level. It proposes an analytical framework that considers the adoption of green criteria in tenders as a conditionally independent decision. The empirical illustration focuses on the role of organizational size and suggests that large municipalities are more likely to rely on GPP strategies but less likely to adopt green criteria in tenders.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Magnus Helgesson, Syed Rahman, Fredrik Saboonchi, Ellenor Mittendorfer Rutz
Summary: Refugees in Sweden with specific somatic and mental disorders have a higher risk of disability pension compared to Swedish-born individuals, but they have lower risk estimates of mortality than their Swedish counterparts. This could potentially be explained by a healthy selection among refugees despite their higher risk of disability pension.
JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sarah Lavallee, Paul D. Hynds, R. Stephen Brown, Corinne Schuster-Wallace, Sarah Dickson-Anderson, Stephanie Di Pelino, Rylan Egan, Anna Majury
Summary: The study found that private well users have a low awareness of waterborne pathogens, with factors such as geographic location, gender, and well type being associated with attitudes and risk perceptions towards personal well water supply. Residential presence during well construction was linked to higher awareness levels and lower risk perception scores, while previous cases of acute gastrointestinal illness in the household were associated with negative attitudes towards well water and higher risk perception scores regarding the quantity of local groundwater sources.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Michael J. McFarland, Terrence D. Hill, Jennifer Karas Montez
Summary: This study examines the mediating and moderating factors in the relationship between income inequality and life expectancy. The findings suggest that state-level income inequality is inversely associated with policy liberalism and life expectancy, and this association is moderated by policy liberalism.
JOURNAL OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Xuerui Li, Rongrong Yang, Wenzhe Yang, Hui Xu, Ruixue Song, Xiuying Qi, Weili Xu
Summary: The study revealed an association between low birth weight and adult cardiometabolic diseases, with genetic and early-life environmental factors potentially contributing to this association, while a healthy lifestyle may modify the risk.
Article
Pediatrics
Sean Olann Whelan, Frank Moriarty, Lisa Lawlor, Kathleen Mary Gorman, Joanne Beamish
Summary: This study utilized the PACV tool to assess vaccine hesitancy in an Irish population, finding that 14.4% of participants exhibited hesitancy towards vaccines. Safety and efficacy concerns were identified as major contributors to non-vaccination, with autism spectrum disorder being the most commonly cited vaccine side effect of concern.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS
(2021)
Article
Ethics
Derek Soled
Summary: Libertarian paternalism involves nudging individuals while maintaining freedom of choice, particularly in promoting healthy behaviors in medicine. Ethical debates surround the use of nudges, with some arguing they balance autonomy and paternalistic beneficence, while others see them as exploiting cognitive weaknesses. Nudges are considered ethically justified in public health when there is a clear benefit to manipulating choice, despite concerns about infringing on autonomy and informed consent.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ETHICS
(2021)
Article
Ethics
Fabian J. S. van der Velden, Emma Lim, Lily Gills, Jasmin Broadey, Louise Hayes, Eve Roberts, Jack Courtney, Joanne Ball, Jethro Herberg, Rachel Galassini, Marieke Emonts, DIAMONDS consortium
Summary: This study explores the views and knowledge of children and young people in the UK regarding biobanking and consent. The findings suggest that most children accept prospective and deferred consent, and prefer to reconsent when cognitively mature enough. Additionally, children wanted to be informed about the reuse of their biobanked biospecimens.
BMC MEDICAL ETHICS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Andreas J. Forstner, Swapnil Awasthi, Christiane Wolf, Eduard Maron, Angelika Erhardt, Darina Czamara, Elias Eriksson, Catharina Lavebratt, Christer Allgulander, Nina Friedrich, Jessica Becker, Julian Hecker, Stefanie Rambau, Rupert Conrad, Franziska Geiser, Francis J. McMahon, Susanne Moebus, Timo Hess, Benedikt C. Buerfent, Per Hoffmann, Stefan Herms, Stefanie Heilmann-Heimbach, Ingrid Kockum, Tomas Olsson, Lars Alfredsson, Heike Weber, Georg W. Alpers, Volker Arolt, Lydia Fehm, Thomas Fydrich, Alexander L. Gerlach, Alfons Hamm, Tilo Kircher, Christiane A. Pane-Farre, Paul Pauli, Winfried Rief, Andreas Strohle, Jens Plag, Thomas Lang, Hans-Ulrich Wittchen, Manuel Mattheisen, Sandra Meier, Andres Metspalu, Katharina Domschke, Andreas Reif, Iiris Hovatta, Nils Lindefors, Evelyn Andersson, Martin Schalling, Hamdi Mbarek, Yuri Milaneschi, Eco J. C. de Geus, Dorret Boomsma, Brenda W. J. H. Penninx, Thorgeir E. Thorgeirsson, Stacy Steinberg, Kari Stefansson, Hreinn Stefansson, Bertram Muller-Myhsok, Thomas Folkmann Hansen, Anders D. Borglum, Thomas Werge, Preben Bo Mortensen, Merete Nordentoft, David M. Hougaard, Christina M. Hultman, Patrick F. Sullivan, Markus M. Nothen, David P. D. Woldbye, Ole Mors, Elisabeth B. Binder, Christian Rueck, Stephan Ripke, Juergen Deckert, Johannes Schumacher
Summary: The study describes the largest genome-wide association study of PD to date, identifying no significant loci but significant genetic correlations between PD and major depressive disorder, depressive symptoms, and neuroticism. The findings represent a major step towards elucidating the genetic susceptibility to PD.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Linghua Kong, Xinxia Chen, Mika Gissler, Catharina Lavebratt
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBESITY
(2020)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Elena Raffetti, Anton Jonatan Landgren, Filip Andersson, Francesco Donato, Catharina Lavebratt, Yvonne Forsell, Maria Rosaria Galanti
Summary: The study found that higher levels of morning cortisol and cortisol area under the curve were associated with an increased risk of tobacco use initiation in adolescents, while there were no significant associations with afternoon cortisol concentration.
JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENT HEALTH
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Philippe A. Melas, Maria Scherma, Walter Fratta, Carlo Cifani, Paola Fadda
Summary: CBD, as the most abundant non-psychoactive component of cannabis, has received attention for its anxiolytic and antidepressant properties. Even though the exact molecular mechanism of action of CBD remains unknown, preclinical animal studies support its potential as an anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like compound. Additionally, evidence linking the neuropharmacological effects of CBD to its behavioral effects suggests a promising role in treating anxiety and mood disorders.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Xinxia Chen, Emilia Koivuaho, Terhi T. Piltonen, Mika Gissler, Catharina Lavebratt
Summary: The study indicated that maternal PCOS/anovulatory infertility may lead to an increased risk of offspring obesity at early age and diabetes in female offspring during late adolescence. It also suggested that children of mothers with PCOS have an increased risk of subtle signs of cardiometabolic alterations.
HUMAN REPRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Psychiatry
Elena Raffetti, Philippe Anastasios Melas, Anton Jonatan Landgren, Filip Andersson, Yvonne Forsell, Catharina Lavebratt, Maria Rosaria Galanti
Summary: Early life stress is associated with increased methylation of the NR3C1 gene, and this hypermethylation can predict substance use in middle adolescence, particularly recent use and use duration. Additional longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Letter
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Xinxia Chen, Emilia Koivuaho, Terhi T. Piltonen, Mika Gissler, Catharina Lavebratt
HUMAN REPRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Xinxia Chen, Mika Gissler, Catharina Lavebratt
Summary: The presence of PCOS is associated with higher risks of total and spontaneous preterm birth in mothers with non-insulin-treated type 2 diabetes and GDM, while lower risk of offspring being LGA in mothers with insulin-treated diabetes.
HUMAN REPRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Katja Ponzer, Vincent Millischer, Martin Schalling, Mika Gissler, Catharina Lavebratt, Lena Backlund
Summary: Using nationwide registers, this study found that long-term lithium treatment is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, but no significant effect on dementia. However, it also showed an increased risk of pulmonary embolism, Parkinson's disease, and kidney disease in individuals prescribed lithium compared to the general population and psychiatric subcohort.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Johanna S. Qvist, Maria Scherma, Nitya Jayaram-Lindstrom, Walter Fratta, Denise B. Kandel, Eric R. Kandel, Paola Fadda, Philippe A. Melas
Summary: The regular use of cannabis during adolescence has been associated with negative life outcomes, but the exact molecular mechanisms are not well understood. This study found that exposure to a synthetic cannabinoid in adolescent rats led to changes in the expression of proteins related to the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic neurotransmitter system in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The synaptic protein SYNGAP1 was upregulated in the PFC following prolonged drug abstinence, and this change was specific to adolescent exposure and not seen in adulthood. Similar changes in SYNGAP1 levels were also observed in rats exposed to a natural cannabinoid. The findings suggest a link between cannabinoid exposure and SYNGAP1 changes that are spatio-temporal and developmental in nature.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Liu L. Yang, Miranda Stiernborg, Elin Skott, Therese Gillberg, Rikard Landberg, MaiBritt Giacobini, Catharina Lavebratt
Summary: This study found lower plasma concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in children and adults with ADHD compared to healthy family members. Antibiotic medication, age, and stimulant medication were identified as factors influencing SCFA levels.
JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Miranda Stiernborg, J. W. Debelius, Liu L. Yang, Elin Skott, Vincent Millischer, MaiBritt Giacobini, Philippe A. Melas, Fredrik Boulund, Catharina Lavebratt
Summary: Recent evidence suggests that there is a link between neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ADHD, and the gut microbiome. A study was conducted with 147 well-characterized adult and child ADHD patients to investigate the impact of psychostimulant medication on the gut microbiome. The findings showed significant differences in bacterial strains, bacterial genes, inflammatory markers, and short-chain fatty acids between ADHD patients and controls, as well as between medicated and non-medicated children with ADHD.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Judit Ozsvar, Mika Gissler, Catharina Lavebratt, Ida A. K. Nilsson
Summary: This study identified various prenatal and at birth exposures associated with offspring eating disorders, some of which are specific to certain types of eating disorders and show sex-specific associations. Confounding by maternal BMI cannot be excluded, however, highlighting the importance of subtype- and sex-stratified analyses.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EATING DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Lisa Bornscheuer, Andreas Lundin, Yvonne Forsell, Catharina Lavebratt, Philippe A. Melas
Summary: This study explores the relationship between fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) and subjective well-being, and found a functional polymorphism in the FAAH gene to be associated with decreased well-being and increased alcohol dependence. The findings suggest that chronically elevated levels of anandamide may disrupt the well-being system, leading to increased alcohol intake.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Daniel Berglind, Diego Yacaman-Mendez, Catharina Lavebratt, Yvonne Forsell
JMIR MHEALTH AND UHEALTH
(2020)
