A Multi-Center Study of Ossiculoplasty Hearing Outcomes and a Grading Scale of Ear Environment Risk.

Objective: To determine which ear environment risk factors impact ossiculoplasty hearing outcomes and to generate a statistically-valid grading system for ossiculoplasty outcome reporting.

Study Type: Retrospective case series.

Methods: A multi-institutional database was generated from cases performed between 2011 and 2019.

Impact of real-world implementation of evidence-based insomnia treatment within a large payor-provider health system: initial provider and patient-level outcomes.

Study Objectives: Insomnia has substantial and wide-ranging negative effects on clinical and functional outcomes and on health care expenditures, yet few individuals receive gold-standard insomnia treatment. The current article examines provider and patient outcomes associated with real-world implementation of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), as part of a pilot initiative designed to establish initial capability for evidence-based insomnia treatment within one of the largest payor-provider systems in the United States.

Methods: Provider training outcomes were assessed using the CBT-I Competency Rating Scale and self-report measures.

Clinical and financial significance of insomnia within a large payor-provider health system.

Study Objectives: Insomnia has profound negative effects on behavioral health, physical health, and functional domains. Leveraging claims data from one of the nation's largest payor-provider systems, the current study examined the real-world prevalence of insomnia, comorbidity of insomnia with behavioral health and other sleep disorders, and the impact of insomnia on total health care costs.

Methods: Prevalence and costs associated with insomnia were assessed by examining claims data on approximately 3 million insured members during the year 2022.

Association between depression symptom severity and total cost of care: Findings from a large, 2-year, claims-based, retrospective population health study.

Background: Despite the substantial impact of depression on individuals and healthcare utilization, little is known about the specific relationship between depression severity and total cost of care (TCC). This study evaluates the association between depression symptom severity and TCC and how changes in severity affect TCC.

Methods: The analysis was conducted using insurance claims data and data from electronic health records between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2020.

Safety, Feasibility, and Utility of Digital Mobile Six-Minute Walk Testing in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: The DynAMITE Study.

Rationale: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a life-threatening progressive cardiopulmonary disease associated with high morbidity and mortality. Changes in the six-minute walk test (6MWT) provide prognostic information and help guide treatment decisions for PAH. However, since 6MWT requires in-clinic visits, clinical interventions to address disease progression may be delayed.

Biochemical characterization of the Eya and PP2A-B55α interaction.

The eyes absent (Eya) proteins were first identified as co-activators of the six homeobox family of transcription factors and are critical in embryonic development. These proteins are also re-expressed in cancers after development is complete, where they drive tumor progression. We have previously shown that the Eya3 N-terminal domain (NTD) contains Ser/Thr phosphatase activity through an interaction with the protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A)-B55α holoenzyme and that this interaction increases the half-life of Myc through pT58 dephosphorylation.

MRI morphometry of the anterior and posterior cerebellar vermis and its relationship to sensorimotor and cognitive functions in children.

Introduction: The human cerebellum emerges as a posterior brain structure integrating neural networks for sensorimotor, cognitive, and emotional processing across the lifespan. Developmental studies of the cerebellar anatomy and function are scant. We examine age-dependent MRI morphometry of the anterior cerebellar vermis, lobules I-V and posterior neocortical lobules VI-VII and their relationship to sensorimotor and cognitive functions.

An Ex-Vivo Study Comparing the Accuracy of the E-Connect S+ and Morita Tri Auto ZX2+ Endodontic Handpieces in Root Canal Length Determination.

Introduction: This ex vivo study evaluated the accuracy of the Electronic Apex Locator (EAL) and Automatic Apical Stop (AAS) functions of the E-Connect S+ and Morita Tri Auto ZX2+ cordless apex locators in determining patency length.

Methods: Sixty-four human teeth with a single root were randomly allocated into E-connect or Morita groups (n = 32). The canals were accessed and preflared, after which a size 15 K-file was inserted into the canal to the major foramen and recorded as the actual length (AL).

Orthotopic and metastatic tumour models in preclinical cancer research.

Mouse models of disease play a pivotal role at all stages of cancer drug development. Cell-line derived subcutaneous tumour models are predominant in early drug discovery, but there is growing recognition of the importance of the more complex orthotopic and metastatic tumour models for understanding both target biology in the correct tissue context, and the impact of the tumour microenvironment and the immune system in responses to treatment. The aim of this review is to highlight the value that orthotopic and metastatic models bring to the study of tumour biology and drug development while pointing out those models that are most likely to be encountered in the literature.

Pathologic classification of a late-onset peripheral neuropathy in a spontaneous Labrador retriever dog model.

Late-onset peripheral neuropathy (LPN) is a heritable canine neuropathy commonly found in Labrador retrievers and is characterized by laryngeal paralysis and pelvic limb paresis. Our objective was to establish canine LPN as a model for human hereditary peripheral neuropathy by classifying it as either an axonopathy or myelinopathy and evaluating length-dependent degeneration. We conducted a motor nerve conduction study of the sciatic and ulnar nerves, electromyography (EMG) of appendicular and epaxial musculature, and histologic analysis of sciatic and recurrent laryngeal nerves in LPN-affected and control dogs.

Neurofilament light chain concentration does not correlate with disease status in Labrador Retrievers affected with idiopathic laryngeal paralysis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether plasma neurofilament light chain (pNfL) concentration was altered in Labrador Retrievers with idiopathic laryngeal paralysis (ILP) compared to a control population. A secondary aim was to investigate relationships between age, height, weight, and body mass index in the populations studied.

Animals: 123 dogs: 62 purebred Labrador Retrievers with ILP (ILP Cases) and 61 age-matched healthy medium- to large-breed dogs (Controls).

Service-learning outreach to attract high school students to degrees and careers in agricultural sciences.

Given projected deficits and a lack of diversity, there is a critical need to recruit and develop the next generation of the agricultural workforce. The objectives of our study were to evaluate if AgCamp, a one day workshop focused on agriculture delivered through a college student-led service-learning platform: (1) increased high school students' knowledge of agriculture, (2) changed their interests in pursuing degrees and careers in agriculture, and (3) increased their comfort and confidence in communicating with others in agriculture. We hosted high school students at AgCamp and provided them with instruction in animal science, horticulture, and agricultural mechanics.

The impact of COVID-19 on primary care accessibility and the role of telehealth for patients with chronic conditions.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to quantify how long patients took to complete their rescheduled primary care appointment pre-pandemic (2019) and during an initial pandemic period (2020). In doing so, the study evaluates telehealth's role in helping primary care patients - particularly in patients with chronic conditions - withstand COVID's significant disruption in care.

Methods: Cancelled and completed primary care appointments for adult patients were extracted from the beginning of the pandemic (March 1 to July 31, 2020) and a similar period pre-pandemic (March 1 to July 31, 2019).

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Translating Disease Mechanisms into Therapeutics Using Animal Models.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a range of pathologies arising from fat accumulation in the liver in the absence of excess alcohol use or other causes of liver disease. Its complications include cirrhosis and liver failure, hepatocellular carcinoma, and eventual death. NAFLD is the most common cause of liver disease globally and is estimated to affect nearly one-third of individuals in the United States.

Triplication of the interferon receptor locus contributes to hallmarks of Down syndrome in a mouse model.

Down syndrome (DS), the genetic condition caused by trisomy 21, is characterized by variable cognitive impairment, immune dysregulation, dysmorphogenesis and increased prevalence of diverse co-occurring conditions. The mechanisms by which trisomy 21 causes these effects remain largely unknown. We demonstrate that triplication of the interferon receptor (IFNR) gene cluster on chromosome 21 is necessary for multiple phenotypes in a mouse model of DS.

The lifesaving effects of cardiac adhesions.

Patients that incur myocardial disruption from penetrating cardiac injuries have an average 6%-10% expectancy rate of reaching the hospital alive. If prompt recognition on arrival is not immediate, the morbidity and mortality are significantly higher due to the secondary physiologic sequalae of either cardiogenic or hemorrhagic shock. Even after a triumphant arrival at a medical facility, out of that 6%-10%, half of those patients are not expected to survive.

SHARING Choices: Lessons Learned from a Primary-Care Focused Advance Care Planning Intervention.

Background: Few advance care planning (ACP) interventions have been scaled in primary care.

Problem: Best practices for delivering ACP at scale in primary care do not exist and prior efforts have excluded older adults with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD).

Intervention: SHARING Choices (NCT#04819191) is a multicomponent cluster-randomized pragmatic trial conducted at 55 primary care practices from two care delivery systems in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.

Traumatic aortic injury from pellet gun: A case report.

Acute traumatic aortic injuries are of the most lethal sequelae of penetrating thoracic injuries and require rapid detection and management. The American College of Radiology currently recommends the use of noncontrast CT, followed by computed tomography angiography (CTA) as the first-line imaging modalities when traumatic aortic injury is suspected. Direct signs of aortic injury on CTA include pseudoaneurysm, focal contour abnormality, intimal flap, intramural hematoma, an abrupt change in aortic caliber, and contrast extravasation.

A Tet-Inducible CRISPR Platform for High-Fidelity Editing of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) offer an exciting resource for probing human biology; however, gene-editing efficiency remains relatively low in many cell types, including stem cells. Gene-editing using the CRISPR-Cas9 system offers an attractive solution that improves upon previous gene-editing approaches; however, like other technologies, off-target mutagenesis remains a concern. High-fidelity Cas9 variants greatly reduce off-target mutagenesis and offer a solution to this problem.

Cardiac Screening and Disease Characteristics of Patients with Ocular Sarcoidosis.

Purpose: This is a retrospective nonrandomized cohort study investigating the prevalence, timing, and type of cardiac sarcoidosis indications on electrocardiogram in patients with diagnosed or suspected ocular sarcoidosis.

Methods: Medical histories of individuals seen from 2005 to 2020 at two centers with diagnosed or suspected ocular sarcoidosis were searched, and statistical methods were used to evaluate the relevance of each aspect obtained.

Results: Approximately 16% of the individuals in our cohort showed signs of cardiac sarcoidosis on ECG, primarily bundle branch blocks, and premature ventricular contractions, close to the time of their initial ocular sarcoidosis documentation.