Tag: pubmed

Musculoskeletal Care. 2026 Mar;24(1):e70187. doi: 10.1002/msc.70187.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Lumbopelvic Flexion-Rotation Movement Impairment Syndrome is a common pattern observed in individuals with mechanical low back pain (MLBP) characterised by altered postural control and neuromuscular dysfunction. Isolated balance training may offer focused benefits in such cases.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of an isolated balance exercise regimen with conventional physiotherapy in managing Lumbopelvic flexion-rotation movement impairment syndrome in male patients with MLBP.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single-centre experimental study was conducted on 30 male patients (aged 18-26 years) diagnosed with Lumbopelvic flexion-rotation movement impairment syndrome. Participants were randomly assigned to Group A (Isolated Balance Exercise) or Group B (Conventional Physiotherapy). Outcomes were assessed pre- and post-intervention using standardised pain and disability scales.

RESULTS: Both groups showed statistically significant improvements. Group A showed reductions in pain (Mean = 1.86, SD = ± 0.639) and disability (Mean = 1.60, SD = ± 0.736). Group B also improved in pain (Mean = 1.66, SD = ± 0.899) and disability (Mean = 1.60, SD = ± 0.7368). The isolated balance regimen was comparably effective with conventional therapy.

CONCLUSION: Isolated balance training is an effective and viable standalone intervention for managing MLBP due to Lumbopelvic flexion-rotation movement impairment syndrome.

PMID:41689861 | DOI:10.1002/msc.70187

Cartilage. 2026 Feb 14:19476035261423333. doi: 10.1177/19476035261423333. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

PurposeTo compare the clinical and biological outcomes of minced autologous cartilage transplantation versus hyaluronic acid-based scaffold with bone marrow aspirate concentrate (HA-BMAC) in the treatment of full-thickness cartilage lesions of the knee.MethodsA total of 41 patients treated with minced autologous cartilage transplantation were retrospectively analyzed. Using propensity score matching, a control group of 41 patients was selected from a large cohort treated with HA-BMAC-based cartilage repair. Minced cartilage was harvested from unloaded cartilage and fibrin-glued into the defect. Bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) was obtained from the iliac crest, centrifuge concentrated, and seeded onto a hyaluronic acid scaffold. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the Knee Injury Outcome Score (KOOS) score. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluations were performed preoperatively with AMADEUS score and at 1-year follow-up using the Magnetic Resonance Observation of Cartilage Repair Tissue (MOCART)-2 score.ResultsThe groups were comparable in terms of age, sex, lesion size, and location. Significant improvements were observed in all KOOS subscales in both cartilage repair groups, with no statistical difference between them at 1-year follow-up. MOCART-2 scores showed a trend toward superior biological healing in the minced cartilage group (mean score: 77) compared to the BMAC group (mean score: 73). Excellent healing (MOCART >80) was observed in 51% of minced cartilage cases versus 38% of BMAC cases.ConclusionBoth minced cartilage transplantation and HA-BMAC treatments resulted in comparable subjective clinical outcomes. However, minced cartilage transplantation demonstrated a tendency for enhanced biological healing based on MRI compared to HA-BMAC. This suggests potential advantages of minced cartilage transplantation over HA-BMAC cartilage repair.

PMID:41689853 | DOI:10.1177/19476035261423333

Hum Reprod. 2026 Feb 14:deag008. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deag008. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

STUDY QUESTION: What are the prevalence, type, and stratified risks (reproductive failure subtype, sex, age, semen quality, and prior adverse pregnancy events) of chromosomal aberrations in couples seeking ART treatment in a large-scale cohort study?

SUMMARY ANSWER: The prevalence of chromosomal aberrations in couples with reproductive failure was 3.42%, with a higher prevalence in younger individuals, men with poorer semen quality, and those experiencing multiple adverse pregnancy outcomes.

WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Reproductive failure is a global health issue, with chromosomal aberrations playing an important role. ART is widely used for the treatment of reproductive failure; however, large-scale, comprehensive studies characterizing the stratified risks of chromosomal aberrations in couples seeking ART remain scarce.

STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: This retrospective study analysed chromosomal data from 227 818 couples seeking ART at our hospital between January 1993 and March 2024.

PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: This study included 227 818 couples with reproductive failure, including 130 213 couples with primary infertility, 58 161 with secondary infertility, and 39 444 with adverse pregnancy outcomes. All participants underwent routine cytogenetic analysis using GTG-banding prior to ART. Statistical analysis was performed using R software (v4.4.0), with significance set at P < 0.05.

MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Chromosomal aberrations were detected in 7785 couples (3.42%), with the highest prevalence in those with adverse pregnancy outcomes (4.83%), followed by those with primary infertility (3.54%) or secondary infertility (2.18%) (all P < 0.001). Significant sex differences were observed in infertile couples (men: 1.91% vs women: 1.52%) and couples with adverse pregnancy outcomes (men: 2.04% vs women: 2.81%), (P < 0.001). The prevalence of chromosomal aberrations was inversely correlated with age (2.36% in <25 years to 1.29% in ≥35 years) and increased significantly with poorer semen quality (0.89% in normozoospermia to 12.54% in azoospermia) and more adverse pregnancy events (3.07% in 1 event to 9.38% in ≥3 events, P < 0.001). Common structural aberrations included reciprocal and Robertsonian translocations and inversions, with frequent breakpoints at 11q23, 22q11, and 7q22. The percentage of haploid length of each autosome and the corresponding percentage of breakpoints showed a strong Pearson’s correlation (R = 0.933, P < 0.001, two-tailed test). Robertsonian translocations and t(11;22)(q23;q11) were recurrent. The most frequent aneuploidies identified were 47,XXY (Klinefelter) and 45, X (Turner) syndromes, in both mosaic and non-mosaic forms.

LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: The lack of detailed clinical characteristics limited patient stratification and hindered the in-depth analysis of karyotype-phenotype relationships. The absence of a large fertile control group restricted comparative analysis. Conventional GTG-banding resolution may miss some cryptic chromosomal abnormalities. Single-centre data may limit the generalizability of our findings to more diverse populations.

WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS: Stratified risk data (such as the higher prevalence of chromosomal aberrations in younger populations, individuals with poor semen quality, or those with a history of multiple adverse pregnancies) provide crucial evidence for clinicians to assess reproductive risks associated with chromosomal aberrations and make karyotyping decisions prior to ART treatment.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S): This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2023YFC2705605). The authors declare that there are no competing interests.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: N/A.

PMID:41689847 | DOI:10.1093/humrep/deag008

J Prim Care Community Health. 2026 Jan-Dec;17:21501319261420566. doi: 10.1177/21501319261420566. Epub 2026 Feb 14.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To examine whether primary care visit frequency (PVF) is associated with non-urgent emergency department visits (NU-EDVs) at a large urban medical center, and to identify determinants of higher PVF among Emergency Department patients.

METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of adult ED patients (ESI ≥4 considered NU-EDV) at a Southern California Level I trauma center (September 2021-April 2024). Undergraduate research associates administered a 29-item instrument capturing demographics, utilization, barriers, trust in primary care, and comorbidities. Bivariate tests and multivariable logistic regression estimated adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for NU-EDV and for PVF ≥3 visits/year.

RESULTS: Among 964 patients with a primary care provider, 62.9% reported <3 PCP visits/year; 59.2% presented with NU-EDV. After adjustment, PVF ≥3/year was associated with lower odds of NU-EDV (aOR 0.64, 95% CI 0.48-0.87). Medicaid/Cal insurance was associated with higher odds of NU-EDV versus private insurance (aOR 1.53, 95% CI 1.12-2.08). Determinants of PVF ≥3/year included female sex (aOR 1.39, 95% CI 1.04-1.86), older age (aOR 1.01 per year, 95% CI 1.00-1.02), Black race (aOR 2.21, 95% CI 1.17-4.19), Medicaid/Cal coverage (aOR 1.70, 95% CI 1.22-2.37), more chronic conditions (aOR 1.53 per condition, 95% CI 1.35-1.71), and lower odds with PCP distrust (aOR 0.54, 95% CI 0.30-0.96).

CONCLUSIONS: Greater primary care engagement is independently associated with fewer NU-EDVs; however, Medicaid beneficiaries remain at elevated risk for non-urgent ED use. Improving after-hours access, care coordination, and Medicaid-eligible unscheduled primary care may further reduce avoidable ED utilization.

PMID:41689840 | DOI:10.1177/21501319261420566

J Prim Care Community Health. 2026 Jan-Dec;17:21501319251411430. doi: 10.1177/21501319251411430. Epub 2026 Feb 14.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) has recommended inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)-Formoterol as Track-1 treatment for patients. Using ICS and SABA (Short-Acting Beta-Agonist) as a reliever is an alternative Track-2 option. Both modalities are tied to type of inhaler use, dry powder inhalers (DPI) and propellent-containing metered-dose inhalers (pMDI). Compared to propellent-free DPI, pMDI have much higher carbon footprint (CF) detrimental to the environment. Leveraging on dispensed inhaler data from the electronic medical records of patients managed in primary care, the study aimed to quantify their CF using Budesonide-Formoterol (BUD-FOR) DPI alone, compared to those who were treated with BUD-FOR DPI + pMDI as a reliever.

METHODS: Electronic medical records from 8 public primary care clinics were analysed, covering adult asthma patients (aged ≥21) between 2018 and 2023. Data on inhaler dispensing, asthma control test (ACT) scores and rescue therapy (RT) needs were assessed. CF was computed based on inhaler canisters dispensed. Associations between treatment modality, asthma control, RT and CF were analysed using Generalized Estimating Equations.

RESULTS: A total of 5634 patients using BUD-FOR DPI were included. Over the study period, Track-1 usage increased substantially from 466 to 2317 patients, while Track-2 rose modestly from 628 to 758. In 2023, 78.5% of patients achieved good asthma control compared to 68.7% in Track-2. The total CF per patient was substantially lower in Track-1 compared to Track-2 (3.3 vs 62.4 kgCO₂e). Patients in Track-1 had a significantly lower CF by 60 kgCO₂e (P < .001), had 1.5 times higher odds to achieve good asthma control based on ACT scores (P < .001) and had approximately 30% lower odds of receiving RT (P < .001). The average number of SABA-pMDI canisters dispensed per patient declined from 2.8 to 2.1 over the study period. BUD/FOR inhalers use per patient per year was consistently higher in Track 2 compared to Track 1, with an average difference of 1.2 canisters (5.3 vs 4.1).

CONCLUSION: Patients managed under Track-1 treatment approach demonstrated significantly better asthma outcomes and lower CF. These findings highlight potential of Track-1 treatment as the preferred strategy, enabling better clinical outcomes and reduced environmental impact.

PMID:41689839 | DOI:10.1177/21501319251411430

Psychol Health Med. 2026 Feb 14:1-20. doi: 10.1080/13548506.2026.2628984. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

With the development of society and the transformation of education, the mental health of Chinese teachers, especially kindergarten teachers, is deteriorating. Although numerous theoretical frameworks and empirical studies have been devoted to exploring factors (e.g. social support, self-efficacy, job burnout, et al.) in relation to individual mental health, limited studies have jointly examined the mechanisms linking these factors to mental health outcomes. This study aimed to apply the social cognitive model of job and life satisfaction to understand Chinese kindergarten teachers’ mental health problems. A total of 1114 Chinese kindergarten teachers, whose mean age was 32.75 ± 8.36 and of whom 1073 (96.3%) were female, completed several measures concerning social support, emotional intelligence, emotional self-efficacy, job burnout, and mental health. The Harman single-factor test, descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling were used to identify key predictors and mediating pathways among these variables. The integrated social cognitive model of mental health demonstrated a strong fitness to the data across both the general sample and sub-samples categorized by teaching years and parenting experiences. Simultaneously, social support might serve as an indirect predictor of mental health problem, which was mediated primarily via job burnout, the chain links of emotional intelligence and job burnout, the chain links of emotional self-efficacy and job burnout, and the chain links of emotional intelligence, emotional self-efficacy, and job burnout. The mental health of kindergarten teachers fluctuates by a combination of social support, emotional intelligence, emotional self-efficacy, and job burnout. Therefore, constructing an emotional support system, improving teachers’ emotional literacy, and integrating teachers’ diverse learning experiences might more effectively promote their mental health.

PMID:41689831 | DOI:10.1080/13548506.2026.2628984

Infancy. 2026 Jan;31(1):e70073. doi: 10.1111/infa.70073.

ABSTRACT

As young children’s digital media use increases, more research on parents’ decisions, such as preferred digital content and mediation strategies, is necessary, particularly with underrepresented populations. The present study analyzed survey data on Arab parents’ decisions regarding digital media use of their children under 3 years in the United Arab Emirates. Most children did not use digital media, and those who did predominantly engaged in “watching” activities. Media content focused on early learning activities and Arabic-language videos. Most parents engaged in digital media together with their child, and joint engagement was linked to less digital media use. The results suggest Arab parents’ media decisions included consideration of content and an emphasis on co-using media with their children. Implications are suggested for policymakers, media developers, and parental guidelines.

PMID:41689822 | DOI:10.1111/infa.70073

J Foot Ankle Res. 2026 Mar;19(1):e70113. doi: 10.1002/jfa2.70113.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Podiatrists are the primary health professionals associated with assessment, diagnosis and management of lower limb problems. Research is critical in informing evidence-based practice. As part of a national research priorities project, this bibliometric review aimed to map all Australian podiatry-relevant research from 1970 to 2024 and explore volume over time, authors, institutions, level of evidence, funding sources and categories of research.

METHODS: Podiatry-relevant research was categorised into 10 streams: dermatology, diabetes-related foot disease, gerontology, musculoskeletal and sports, paediatrics, rheumatology, surgery, workforce and education, First Nations foot health and neurological and vascular disease. A systematic search of the literature was conducted in each stream up until December 2024. Meta-data from Scopus were analysed in Biblioshiny, where publications volume, authors, institutions, journals and collaborations were described. Each publication was also categorised for level of evidence using the National Health and Medical Research Council criteria, research type using the United Kingdom Clinical Research Collaboration Health Research Classification System and funding source using Higher Education Research Data Collection specifications.

RESULTS: A total of 1641 publications were included across all research streams. Steady increases in publication volume occurred over the past 20 years, with diabetes-related foot disease yielding the highest volume (n = 335), followed by musculoskeletal (n = 308) and paediatrics (n = 280). Musculoskeletal and sports research demonstrated the highest proportion of level I evidence (22%), whereas most streams were dominated by level IV evidence. The majority of research across all streams received no funding support, ranging from 32% unfunded in First Nations foot health research to 87% in surgical research. Rheumatology achieved the highest proportion of competitive funding (47% Category 1). The most frequent research categories were aetiology, detection and screening and evaluation of treatments. The Journal of Foot and Ankle Research was the most frequent publication source, with 140 (8%) of total publications.

CONCLUSION: Australian podiatry-relevant research has grown substantially, particularly over the past 2 decades. However, significant disparities exist in volume, evidence quality and funding across different streams, with most research conducted without external funding support, highlighting the need for strategic investment to enhance evidence generation in key areas of podiatry practice.

PMID:41689815 | DOI:10.1002/jfa2.70113

Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2026 Feb 14:10499091261425190. doi: 10.1177/10499091261425190. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

ObjectiveWe designed a survey to determine the prevalence of sexual dysfunction among cancer patients and to understand the gaps in provider-patient communication.MethodsAn IRB-approved 36-item survey was distributed through the Jefferson Recruitment Enhancement Service team and social media. Questions assessed the impact of cancer treatment on sexual health, provider communication, how sexual health was assessed, and possible interventions. Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test were used to compare the group differences with a P-value threshold (α) of 0.05 for statistical significance.Results916 patients responded to the survey, with most being diagnosed with breast (n = 271, 29.6%) and prostate cancer (n = 358, 39.1%). 71.8% of patients experienced an impact on sexual function by cancer treatment. Most experienced issues with their sexual desire, body image, arousal, comfort during intercourse, and ability to achieve orgasm (α < 0.001). Only 35.5% reported being asked about their sexual health by an oncologist and only 22.2% were given a questionnaire to assess their sexual health (α < 0.001). 49.8% of breast patients and 15.4% of prostate patients were never told their sexual health could be affected by their cancer treatment (α < 0.001). 60.3% of prostate patients were formally asked about their sexual health by an oncologist compared to 21.4% of breast patients (α < 0.001). 74% of respondents stated it is essential for oncologists to speak to patients about sexual health.ConclusionCancer survivors believe it is important for providers to discuss sexual health. However, providers are more inclined to address sexual health concerns with male patients than with female counterparts.

PMID:41689813 | DOI:10.1177/10499091261425190

Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2026 Feb 14:34894261422107. doi: 10.1177/00034894261422107. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Auditory localization, an essential skill for survival and communication, enables individuals to identify the source of sounds in their environment. Hearing loss (HL) in one or both ears often disrupts binaural hearing mechanisms, compromising auditory localization abilities. This study aimed to compare auditory localization abilities among unilateral cochlear implant (UnCI) users, bimodal cochlear implant (BimCI) users, and individuals with normal hearing (NH).

METHODS: This study included a total of 119 participants: 50 with NH, 46 UnCIs, and 23 BimCIs. The Auditory Localization Scale was used to compare the participants’ localization abilities. The scale consists of 24 items across 5 subdimensions: traffic zone, outdoor situations, indoor situations, psychological aspects, and quiet situations. On this scale, higher scores represent greater difficulty with hearing and sound localization, whereas lower scores correspond to better performance in these situations.

RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was observed among the 3 groups across all subsections of the Auditory Localization Scale (traffic-zone, P < .001; outdoor situations, P < .001; indoor situations, P < .001; psychological aspects, P = .001; quiet situations, P < .001), as well as in the total score (P < .001). Post-hoc analyses revealed no significant difference between the bimodal and unilateral CI users (P > .017). However, the NH group obtained significantly lower scores across all subsections and in the total score compared with both CI groups. (P < .017).

CONCLUSIONS: While bimodal hearing is advantageous for providing binaural signals, it may not be adequate for auditory localization; consequently, further endeavors are required to enhance subjective benefits and hearing outcomes in adult CI users.

PMID:41689812 | DOI:10.1177/00034894261422107