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Experiences of stigma, bias, and communication challenges among pregnant healthcare workers: A systematic review of qualitative evidence.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare work environments are fraught with occupational hazards that can impact pregnant healthcare workers' health as well as patient care. Despite the feminization of healthcare globally, systematic discrimination against pregnant workers persists across diverse healthcare settings and cultural contexts. The intersection of stigma, bias, and communication challenges creates substantial barriers to career advancement and wellbeing. However, no systematic review has synthesized qualitative evidence on how these three constructs interact across healthcare professions and cultural contexts using an integrated theoretical framework. OBJECTIVE: To systematically review and synthesize qualitative evidence on experiences of stigma, bias, and communication challenges among pregnant healthcare workers across different healthcare settings and cultural contexts using an integrated theoretical framework. DESIGN: Systematic review of qualitative studies following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines with thematic synthesis. DATA SOURCES: Seven databases were searched from inception to January 2026. REVIEW METHODS: Included qualitative studies were appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist and synthesized through theory-guided thematic synthesis. Confidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation-Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research (GRADE-CERQual) approach. RESULTS: Fourteen studies encompassing 1223 participants across 17 countries revealed four major themes: (1) professional identity stigma and workplace discrimination through systematic labeling and stereotyping; (2) gender-based institutional bias rooted in masculine organizational logic; (3) multilevel communication failures creating fear-based climates; and (4) individual and collective resistance strategies developed despite constraints. Occupational hazards specific to pregnancy included exposure to infectious diseases, imaging, physical tasks, cleaning products, patient violence, and medication administration. Support from coworkers and supervisors was identified as the most critical facilitator for avoiding hazards and making necessary modifications, while the desire to be 'supernurses' and fear of consequences emerged as significant barriers. These patterns were consistent across healthcare professions, settings, and cultural contexts, with specialty culture and healthcare system type moderating discrimination intensity. Confidence in core findings was rated high using GRADE-CERQual. CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant healthcare workers globally experience interconnected stigma, bias, and communication challenges that are systematically embedded within healthcare organizational structures. These challenges operate synergistically, requiring comprehensive multilevel interventions beyond policy compliance. Healthcare organizations must implement evidence-based strategies addressing stigma reduction, bias interruption, and communication transformation simultaneously to retain skilled workers and ensure quality patient care.

Female

Improving Community-Based Care for Adolescents with ADHD: a Randomized Controlled Trial of Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Fidelity Supports.

Cognitive-behavioral treatments (CBTs) for adolescents with ADHD demonstrate promise of long-term effects on outcome. However, their implementation in routine care community clinics faces barriers that impact quantity, efficiency, and quality of delivery, as well as client outcomes. This study is a randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate the impact of an AI-assisted service delivery model on therapist implementation of Supporting Teens' Autonomy Daily (STAND), a CBT blended with Motivational Interviewing (MI) for adolescents with ADHD. Adolescents with ADHD (N = 51), who were clients at three community mental health agencies, received treatment from 23 therapists. There was randomization of adolescents and therapists to AI-assisted or standard implementation supports. In addition to standard supports (i.e., training, standard facilitation resources, technical assistance, case supervision), AI-assisted support package included digitized facilitation resources housed in a clinical dashboard (Care4), feedback on content fidelity, and AI-generated feedback on MI implementation quality. The AI-assisted group was associated with more efficient treatment delivery and lower number of appointments attended by the adolescent. There was also a significant decrement in MI quality over time in the AI-assisted group compared to the standard support group. Feedback in focus groups indicated that therapists perceived a task-oriented mindset to be associated with receipt of the AI-assisted support package, leading therapists to prioritize efficiency over relational aspects of therapy. Following the results of this trial, a future, larger RCT should examine the impact of the AI-assisted implementation model on mental health outcomes and cost savings to organizations, third party payers, and clients. Trial registration number: NCT05135065; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov ; Registered September 2021.

Humans

Comparative profiling of microbial community structure, enzyme potential, metabolic features, and volatile composition in craft and Jiafan Huangjiu processes.

Craft Huangjiu and Jiafan Huangjiu represent two distinct industrial Huangjiu product outcomes with contrasting volatile profiles. This study compared craft Huangjiu (L70) and Jiafan Huangjiu (L79) to characterize their physicochemical, microbial, gene-level functional, metabolic, and volatile features. Because L70 involved mid-fermentation addition of finished Huangjiu, this comparison was not intended to isolate the sole effect of fermentation interruption versus continued fermentation. L79 showed more extensive carbon and nitrogen utilization, with lower residual substrates and higher ethanol and acetic acid contents than L70, whereas L70 retained a less complete fermentation state. At the volatile level, GC-MS and volatile metabolomics consistently showed an ester-enriched profile in L79 and a more alcohol-dominant profile in L70. FlavorDB-based putative annotation and threshold-based OAV analysis further indicated distinct database-assigned descriptor distributions and potential odor-active compounds, with more OAV > 1 ester-related compounds in L79. Metagenomic analysis showed that L70 was dominated by Lactobacillus acetotolerans, whereas L79 contained higher relative abundances of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus flavus, and Fructilactobacillus fructivorans. Metagenomic functional annotation showed higher representation of hydrolysis-related CAZy genes and ester-related enzyme annotations in L79. KEGG-based pathway mapping further indicated greater gene-level potential for ethanol-, acetate-, and acetyl-CoA-related metabolism in L79. Accordingly, the L70 profile should be interpreted as the integrated final-product outcome of process intervention, exogenous input, and subsequent fermentation. The findings provide a comparative basis for future flavor regulation and process optimization in Huangjiu and other fermented alcoholic beverages.

Volatile Organic Compounds

Endocrine-disrupting chemical-induced gene networks confer coronary heart disease risk revealed by causal inference and single-cell analyses.

BACKGROUND: Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are linked to coronary heart disease (CHD), but underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We aimed to identify EDC-related genes and evaluate their causal roles in CHD. METHODS: We curated EDC-related genes from a compound-gene interaction database and integrated them with CHD genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics and tissue-specific expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) data. Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) and Bayesian colocalization were applied to infer causality. Functional enrichment, single-cell RNA sequencing of human coronary arteries, and EDC-gene networks were further analyzed. RESULTS: After FDR correction, 39 genes were significantly associated with CHD risk via MR. Four genes-ZNF827, FCHO1, IPO9 (protective), and RPL13 (risk-increasing)-showed strong colocalization (PPH4 > 0.9). Pathway and single-cell analyses of coronary artery tissue indicated that vascular and immune pathways mediate these effects. An interaction network highlighted associations between specific EDCs and candidate genes implicated in CHD susceptibility. CONCLUSION: This integrative genomic study provides evidence that EDCs influence CHD susceptibility through distinct gene networks, revealing potential mechanisms and molecular targets for prevention and therapy.

Humans

Association Between Ticagrelor and Glucose Homeostasis Regulation: Insights from Genetic and Transcriptomic Analyses.

Emerging evidence has demonstrated the additional therapeutic benefits of ticagrelor in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients with diabetes. However, the underlying mechanisms of this association remain elusive. Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using genome-wide association study (GWAS) data on ticagrelor, plasma proteomics and type 2 diabetes was employed to identify causal mediator proteins. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of ticagrelor-treated HepG2 cells revealed the molecular pathways regulating glucose metabolism. Genetically proxied ticagrelor was significantly associated with a reduced risk of diabetes (OR = 0.859, 95% CI: 0.783-0.934, P = 7.98E-05), and 24.41% of this effect was mediated by upregulation of BDH2 protein. In vitro experiments confirmed the enhanced effect of ticagrelor on glucose consumption. Transcriptome analysis revealed that mitochondrial respiratory chain transfer and oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) were significantly enriched, and genes related to ATP biosynthesis were significantly upregulated. These findings highlight the non-platelet function of ticagrelor in maintaining glucose homeostasis, providing insights into potential drug repurposing in the future.

Humans

Exploring precision risk in pediatric vesicoureteral reflux: Innate immune gene variations and reflux outcomes in the RIVUR cohort.

INTRODUCTION: Children with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) are at increased risk for morbidity from recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), yet the factors influencing spontaneous VUR resolution remain poorly defined. This study evaluates whether genetic variations in key urinary innate immune effectors (DEFA1A3, DMBT1, and RNASE7) influences VUR resolution and interacts with prophylaxis to alter clinical response. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of 303 RIVUR participants with available DEFA1A3 and DMBT1 copy number variation (CNV) data and RNASE7 rs1263872 genotype. Primary outcomes were (1) VUR improvement (decrease in grade) and (2) VUR resolution at study exit. Multivariable logistic regression models included genotype, treatment, and their interactions, adjusting for age, sex, baseline grade (high vs low), laterality, bowel/bladder dysfunction, and any UTI. Internal validation used 2000-sample bootstrap with bias-corrected and accelerated confidence intervals and influence diagnostics. RESULTS: Clinical covariates did not significantly predict VUR improvement. Children with DEFA1A3 CNV >5 had higher odds of improvement (OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.12-4.96, p = 0.023), an effect that remained significant in bootstrap analyses. High-grade VUR was associated with lower odds of resolution (OR 0.34, 95% CI 0.12-0.94, p = 0.038). A significant interaction was observed between prophylaxis and high DMBT1 copy number for VUR resolution (interaction OR 2.99, 95% CI 1.11-8.04, p = 0.031); no interaction was seen for improvement. RNASE7 rs1263872 was not associated with either outcome. CONCLUSION: Innate immune gene variation may contribute to heterogeneity in VUR outcomes. High DEFA1A3 copy number was associated with reflux improvement and a DMBT1-prophylaxis interaction was associated with reflux resolution. The results of this study is hypothesis-generating and prompt further evaluation to assess whether a subset of children may experience structural benefit from prophylaxis or have a more favorable natural history based on their innate immune genotype.

Humans

The utility of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/computed tomography in relapsing polychondritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Relapsing polychondritis is a rare chronic autoimmune inflammation of the cartilage associated with life-threatening respiratory complications. Currently, no clear role of imaging modalities such as 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/computed tomography (CT) is defined in the literature. This systematic review and meta-analysis provide current evidence on the PET-positivity rate and utility in relapsing polychondritis. Prospective or retrospective studies with more than five patients of suspected relapsing polychondritis who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT during their management and reported a PET-positivity rate were included. Low-sample-size studies describing chondritis due to other aetiologies or utilizing PET-based radiopharmaceuticals other than FDG were excluded. A systematic search using relevant keywords was conducted across four databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science) to include studies up to 25 April 2025. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools were used for risk-of-bias analysis. Data were analysed using the R software package (v4.3.1; 2023). Out of 962 articles, three with a total of 97 patients were included. With a pooled PET-positivity rate of 94% [95% confidence interval (CI): 73-99%, I2 = 0%, P = 0.76] and a pooled baseline SUVmax of 4.0 (95% CI: 3.5-4.6, I2 = 32%, P = 0.23), 18F-FDG PET identified asymptomatic cartilage involvement in more than 25% patients and PET parameters correlated well with inflammatory markers. It had a higher positivity rate for inaccessible sites, such as peripheral airways, and was crucial in treatment monitoring. The pooled PET-positivity rate of 18F-FDG PET in relapsing polychondritis is high but requires prospective large-sample-size studies to explore the diagnostic accuracy and prognostic implications of 18F-FDG PET in relapsing polychondritis.

Polychondritis, Relapsing

Genetic evidence for a causal relationship between melatonin metabolism and depression.

To investigate the causal relevance of melatonin metabolism, which provides the biological basis for circulating melatonin levels, to specific depression symptom subtypes, we performed a targeted systematic review of melatonin metabolism pathways in the human brain and liver. Using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR), we assessed the causal effects of metabolism pathways and/or individual genes on major depressive disorder (MDD) and nine symptom subtypes derived from Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Instrumental variables (IVs) were expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) for eight individual genes, one synthesis route, and three degradation routes. Results were assessed using Bayesian colocalization and phenome-wide association analyses. At the pathway-level, the genetically proxied synthesis-route signal was associated with PHQ-9 Assessment 5 (PHQ9A5, OR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.85-0.93), but sensitivity analyses suggested this association was primarily driven by TPH1 and may reflect serotonin-related biology. In contrast, higher brain melatonin degradation raised the risk of both PHQ9A1 (OR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.02-1.04) and PHQ9A7 (OR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.02-1.03). Within degradation, up-regulation of the kynurenine sub-pathway increased the odds of PHQ9A3 (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.02-1.07), PHQ9A4 (OR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.02-1.06) and PHQ9A7 (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.02-1.07). Gene-level analyses were largely concordant, except for SULT1A1, whose higher expression was genetically protective for PHQ9A3 but risk-increased for PHQ9A1 and PHQ9A4. Overall, these results demonstrate that melatonin metabolism exerts symptom-specific and pathway-specific causal effects on depression. A stratified view of melatonin's role may help optimize the application of exogenous melatonin supplementation.

Melatonin

IMPROVE kidney care: perspectives from marginalised people with CKD and risk factors for CKD on access to, and experience of, kidney care services: a cross-sector collaborative exploration, employing qualitative approaches.

BACKGROUND: Access to, and experience of, chronic kidney disease (CKD) care is inequitable-with barriers to accessing quality care for marginalised groups. We conducted an exploratory study employing qualitative approaches to understand the factors that influence access to, and experience of, healthcare services for marginalised people with CKD and at risk of CKD. METHODS: An exploratory study employing qualitative approaches was conducted as a cross-sector collaboration between kidney care services and an activist, antiracist community-based research and social justice organisation (Mabadiliko Community Interest Company (CIC)). Two groups were recruited: 1) those with risk factors for CKD or early-stage CKD, and 2) people who presented late to kidney care services. Semi-structured interviews were co-designed with people with lived experience and conducted by Mabadiliko CIC. Thematic analysis was undertaken, with themes refined by participants. RESULTS: Twenty interviews were undertaken with a diverse cohort of participants. Knowledge and awareness of CKD was limited, and compounded by a lack of delivery of accessible, culturally congruent information. Significant barriers to accessing kidney care exist for marginalised people, including people who are from global majority ethnic backgrounds, Disabled people, and/or people experiencing material hardship. These barriers are compounded by interpersonal discrimination and paternalistic power dynamics within healthcare interactions. CONCLUSION: This study captures the experiences of marginalised people at different stages of their journey with CKD, in accessing and engaging with kidney care services. Participants faced a complex array of challenges, highlighting opportunities for multi-level intervention. We outline recommendations to address these issues, co-developed with participants.

chronic kidney disease

Metagenome-scale modeling to assess microbiome metabolic complementarity for precision microbiota transplantation therapies.

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) holds therapeutic promise beyond recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection, but clinical outcomes remain unpredictable and donor-selection strategies remain limited, in part because the role of donor‒recipient metabolic interactions in shaping the post-FMT community remains poorly understood. Here, we leverage metagenome-scale metabolic modeling to quantify metabolic niche complementarity between donor and recipient microbiomes and predict post-FMT community composition. Using MICOM-derived metabolic models, we show that donor genomes whose metabolic flux profiles are more dissimilar from the recipient community colonize at significantly higher rates in a murine FMT model. In a human IBS trial, the same metric predicted post-FMT community composition via leave-one-out cross-validation and captured known disease-associated alterations in short-chain fatty acid, sulfur, and gas metabolism. We then performed 2,548 in silico FMT simulations between IBS-D/M patients and donors from the OpenBiome biobank to evaluate personalized donor screening, identifying super-donors characterized by high taxonomic diversity, broad metabolic niche coverage, and community interaction networks dominated by cross-feeding rather than competition. Together, these results support metabolic niche complementarity as a potential determinant of post-FMT community composition and provide a mechanistic basis for evaluating donor-recipient metabolic compatibility. This framework offers a scalable approach for generating testable hypotheses for personalized donor selection.

Fecal Microbiota Transplantation

Long-term petroleum pollution alters soil microbial communities via electron transfer capacity: Evidence from a 35-year chronosequence.

Petroleum pollution poses a serious threat to soil ecosystems, especially in areas surrounding oil wells, where contamination should not be overlooked. Through a 35-year longitudinal study of soils surrounding oil wells, we demonstrate that petroleum hydrocarbons accumulate predominantly in the top 10 cm of soil, reducing the electron acceptor capacity (EAC) by 61.59 % (from 12.68 to 4.87 μmole-/gC) and decreasing the electron transfer capacity (ETC) by 43 %. Structural equation modeling identified ETC as the critical mediator of microbial community shifts, with EAC playing a pivotal role in sustaining redox processes. Notably, hydrocarbon accumulation triggered a microbial succession: The abundance of Actinomycetota (including genera Rhodococcus, Arthrobacter, and Rubrobacter) showed the most significant fluctuations within 2 years, while Pseudomonadota (genera Methylobacter, Thiobacillus, and Pseudomonas), which were dominant in uncontaminated soils, decreased markedly during this period. This transition coincided with peak microbial dysbiosis (microbial dysbiosis index in 2022 reached 31.41 times that of controls). Within two to four years following mild petroleum stress, the bacterial community established a new structural configuration, revealing a crucial window for ecological recovery. The coupling between ETC reduction and microbial succession highlights the pivotal role of electron flux in soil recovery. Our findings establish a mechanistic framework for ETC-targeted restoration strategies to enhance bioremediation in petroleum-contaminated soils.

Soil Microbiology

A Sentiment-Based Comparison of AI- and Physician-Generated Empathic Statements in Palliative Care.

CONTEXT: Empathic communication promotes trust in patient-provider relationships. As healthcare integrates artificial intelligence (AI) into patient communication, we have yet to understand how these models' communication compares to that of physicians. OBJECTIVES: Our primary objectives were to examine patient preferences for AI-generated vs. palliative care physician-generated empathic statements addressing fear and anxiety around cancer treatment, and to analyze associations between linguistic features and patient preferences. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of the PALL-AI trial, a randomized controlled survey comparing cancer patients' preferences of AI- to physician-generated empathic statements. Physicians and AI were provided the same prompt with a maximum sentence length. Patient preferences for each statement were measured in blinded surveys. We analyzed sentiment of the statements using the Valence Aware Dictionary and Sentiment Reasoner (VADER) and the National Research Council Canada (NRC) Emotion Lexicon. We evaluated associations between sentiment scores and patient preferences using Spearman's correlation coefficients. RESULTS: A total of 105 patients completed blinded surveys, preferring the AI-generated statement 72.4% of the time. VADER sentiment analysis showed all three AI statements displayed positive sentiment, while all three physician statements displayed negative sentiment. Controlling for statement length, AI statements used twice as many positive words as human statements. However, they contained a similar number of negative words. Of the eight NRC emotions, "trust" and "joy" demonstrated the strongest correlations with patient preference. CONCLUSION: Patients preferred AI-generated statements around cancer care over those from palliative care physicians when standardized for prompt and statement length. Analysis shows AI-generated statements contain more positive language which may be the factor driving patient preference toward AI.

Humans

Health and Physical Activity Outcomes in Age-Friendly Cities and Communities: A Systematic Review of Emerging Evidence and a Future Research Agenda.

OBJECTIVES: The World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Network of Age-Friendly Cities and Communities (AFCCs) promotes the development of urban environments, policies and services that support the health and participation of older adults. This systematic review examined contemporary evidence concerning associations between WHO AFCC conditions and directly measured health and physical activity outcomes among older residents. METHODS: The registered review adhered to the PRISMA protocol for systematic reviews and meta-analyses and applied the Downs and Black quality criteria for randomised and non-randomised research. RESULTS: Structured Boolean searches of five research repositories identified 17 peer-reviewed studies published between 2017 and 2025 based upon original research conducted in WHO AFCC signatory cities. Although most studies reported positive associations between age-friendly features and domains, such as accessible transport, walkable environments, outdoor infrastructure and self-rated health or physical activity, the strength of evidence was limited by methodological inconsistency, variable study quality and reliance on self-reports. Barriers to evaluation included limited use of longitudinal or quasi-experimental designs, heterogeneous outcome measures, subjective response data and the challenge of establishing appropriate comparison conditions in complex municipal settings. CONCLUSIONS: Strengthening evaluation frameworks for AFCC initiatives is essential for evidence-based urban health policy and governance in rapidly ageing societies. A research agenda is proposed to strengthen AFCC evaluation through standardised measurement, community-based and mixed-methods research, and a greater commitment to co-designed assessment frameworks.

Humans

Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner outcomes after completion of a 1-year postgraduate fellowship.

Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) are an essential and growing part of the health care workforce, especially in community settings. To address PMHNPs' increasing presence in community psychiatry, a 1-year postgraduate PMHNP fellowship in community psychiatry was developed with the goals of enhancing clinical competency and employment retention in underserved public sector settings. Data on 5 cohorts and 31 fellows are presented in this article. PMHNP fellows, preceptors, didactics, and clinical sites were evaluated across several time points including baseline and 6 and 12 months. The program has graduated 100% of fellows with largely positive feedback. Fellows reported significant improvements in competency across the domains of 1) assessment and diagnosis, 2) treatment, and 3) professionalism and leadership. These items were substantiated by clinical preceptors' ratings of fellows' clinical skills from 6-month and 12-month time points. Relatedly, clinical sites, preceptors, and didactics were all rated highly by fellows. After the program, 90.3% of graduates remained working in the public sector including correctional settings, community clinics, and safety net hospitals.

Community psychiatry

Decoding the spatiotemporal patterns of food spoilage microbial communities: Integrating multi-omics and artificial intelligence to enable precision preservation.

In the global food supply chain, food wastage caused by spoilage has resulted in significant economic losses, food shortages, and environmental pressure. This process is fundamentally driven by the spatiotemporal dynamics of microbial communities. However, traditional research methods struggle to elucidate the complex mechanisms of spatial heterogeneity, interspecies interactions, and functional succession. This limits the development of effective preservation strategies. This review systematically reviews the cutting-edge progress of integrating multi-omics technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) to study food spoilage microbial communities, breaking through this bottleneck. We propose an intelligent theoretical framework that could potentially analyze microbial metabolic activities and predict dynamic shelf life if implemented. The conceptual framework integrates multidimensional data, including spatial metabolomics, temporal metatranscriptomics, single-cell transcriptomics, and longitudinal metagenomics. It can also be combined with AI models, such as graph neural networks. The article elaborates on the principles and applications of spatio-temporal monitoring technologies, such as nano secondary ion mass spectrometry, hyperspectral imaging, and the Internet of Things sensing. Through illustrative cases of typical perishable foods, it also explores how such a multi-omics - AI system might be applied to spoilage warning and precise intervention. Additionally, the article addresses the current challenges in data coverage, model generalization, and federated learning implementation. Then the research further explores emerging areas such as engineered probiotics, edge AI, and microfluidic sensing. These areas are targeted at transforming food preservation from an empirical control approach to a data-driven, precise regulatory framework. This transformation provides theoretical support and technical approaches for developing a smart, sustainable food preservation system.

Multiomics

Genetic diversity and recombination of NA-PRRSV field strains in Vietnam: Implications for vaccine efficacy.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) causes severe reproductive losses in pregnant sows and piglets, resulting in substantial economic impact on the swine industry worldwide. However, due to the significant genetic diversity and rapid evolutionary changes of the pathogen, continuous surveillance and detailed genetic analysis of circulating strains are essential. The current study aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity of the hypervariable (HV) region of non-structural protein 2 (nsp2) among North American PRRSV strains isolated from swine farms in Vietnam. Phylogenetic analysis and multiple sequence alignment were conducted to determine subtype classification and assess genetic variability. A total of 48 field isolates were obtained, of which 12.5% belonged to classical NA-PRRSV, 16.6% to NADC30-like and 70.9% to HP-PRRSV, primarily distributed across sublineages 1.4, 5.1, 8.7 and 8.9. Amino acid comparisons found multiple insertions, deletions and substitutions at various positions within the hypervariable region of nsp2. The study revealed substantial genetic variation in the HV region of nsp2 among NA-PRRSV field strains, largely associated with recombination and immune escape. These findings highlight epidemiological risks to vaccine efficacy and underscore the need for continuous molecular surveillance to support effective PRRSV control in Vietnam.

PRRSV

Characterizing Caregiver-Child Interactions Through a Transactional Lens: A Baseline Analysis of a Caregiver-Implemented Intervention.

PURPOSE: This study was motivated by the transactional model of development and examined the reciprocal influences that children and caregivers have on caregiver-child interactions (CCXs) prior to a caregiver-implemented intervention. We tested whether child communication characteristics were associated with caregiver strategy use and whether these strategies, in turn, influenced children's communication to understand how caregivers and children mutually shaped the language learning environment. METHOD: Caregiver-child dyads (N = 105) were participants in a randomized controlled trial. CCXs were collected when children were approximately 30 months of age, transcribed, and coded for four caregiver language facilitation strategies and child communication variables. RESULTS: Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator regression and postselection inference indicated that child communication characteristics in CCXs were associated with both the frequency and type of strategies caregivers used. Children's overall communication acts were significantly associated with caregiver use of vocabulary strategies, whereas children's vocabulary diversity was significantly associated with caregiver use of sentence strategies. Mixed-effects logistic regression demonstrated that all four caregiver strategies significantly increased the likelihood of spontaneous lexical overlap in subsequent child turns. CONCLUSIONS: Prior to the intervention, caregivers and children reciprocally shaped the language environment. This supports a transactional perspective and warrants further consideration of reciprocal influences when assessing the impact of caregiver-implemented interventions. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.32995796.

Humans

Community pharmacists' perspectives on resupplying and prescribing contraceptives: a descriptive qualitative study in Australia.

OBJECTIVES: Australia has commenced implementing contraceptive resupply and prescribing by community pharmacists to improve equity in method access. This study aimed to investigate pharmacist's acceptability of hormonal contraceptive resupply and prescribing. METHODS: Participants were recruited via convenience sampling and had provided contraceptive counseling consistent with the ALLIANCE intervention (i.e. structured, patient-centered, effectiveness-based care) to women seeking the emergency contraceptive pill or presenting prescriptions for medical abortion medicines. This qualitative descriptive study was embedded within the ALLIANCE trial, whose process evaluation included semi-structured interviews with pharmacist participants. The interview guide, containing questions on pharmacists' views of the resupply and prescribing service, was reviewed by the ALLIANCE Trial Chief Investigators and piloted in June 2024 with the SPHERE Pharmacy Advisory Circle. Thirteen questions were developed using the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA). Two researchers conducted line-by-line coding using an iteratively refined codebook, with codes mapped to TFA constructs to examine operationalization in pharmacists' delivery of hormonal contraception. KEY FINDINGS: Although pharmacists (n = 24) perceived that the service could be cost- and time-saving to patients, they raised concerns of unintentionally removing general practitioner (GP)-led monitoring of patients and overstepping GPs' roles. While pharmacists felt confident in their expertise and generally supported the service, they expressed hesitation about initiating contraceptive prescriptions, for which they felt further training and access to comprehensive medical records were required. Additional barriers included increased workload pressures, lack of reimbursement, and inadequate staffing. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, providing a resupply service appears to be acceptable to community pharmacists because it relies on the GP's initial assessment but prescribing less so. However, evaluation is needed post-implementation to explore sustainability, feasibility, and long-term impact on patient outcomes.

contraception