Higher socioeconomic status is associated with greater rates of surgical resource utilization prior to spine fusion surgery.

Background Context: Previous research has demonstrated an association between socioeconomic status (SES) and patient health, specifically noting that patients of lower SES have poor health outcomes. Understanding how social factors, including socioeconomic status (SES), relate to disparities in health outcomes is critical to closing gaps in equitable care to patients. While several studies have examined the effect of SES on postoperative spine outcomes, there is limited spine literature evaluating SES in the context of barriers to spine care.

Preoperative Radiographic Predictors of Subsequent Fusion After Lumbar Decompression Surgery.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine which demographic, surgical, and radiographic preoperative characteristics are most associated with the need for subsequent fusion after decompression lumbar spinal surgery.

Summary Of Background Data: There is a relatively high rate of the need for repeat decompression or fusion after an index decompression procedure for degenerative spine disease.

Does Paraspinal Muscle Mass Predict Lumbar Lordosis Before and After Decompression for Degenerative Spinal Stenosis?

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether muscle mass and quality of the lumbar paraspinal muscles was associated with improvements in lumbar lordosis and other sagittal parameters after isolated posterior lumbar decompression surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis.

Summary Of Background Data: Individuals may develop sagittal imbalance over time, either due to degenerative changes or other spinal conditions.

The Implication of Preoperative Central Stenosis on Patient-Reported Outcomes After Lumbar Decompression Surgery.

Objective: To assess the impact of central stenosis severity on patient-reported outcomes after lumbar decompression.

Methods: Patient diagnosis, demographics, and surgical characteristics were collected via query search and manual chart review of electronic medical records. The inclusion criteria were posterior lumbar decompressions from 2014-2020, with accessible magnetic resonance imaging reports.

Mucoadhesive Ionic Liquid Gel Patches for Oral Delivery.

Oral delivery of biologic drugs is a highly desired yet challenging goal because of the many barriers posed by the GI tract. Ionic liquids (ILs) and deep eutectic solvents (DESs) such as choline and geranate (CAGE) have demonstrated the potential to improve intestinal absorption of insulin and poorly soluble drugs. As with other delivery agents, localization of the ILs in the intestine can enhance the delivery potential by increasing local concentrations while maintaining low off-target concentrations, thus improving the therapeutic window of the ILs.

Microbial signatures in the lower airways of mechanically ventilated COVID-19 patients associated with poor clinical outcome.

Respiratory failure is associated with increased mortality in COVID-19 patients. There are no validated lower airway biomarkers to predict clinical outcome. We investigated whether bacterial respiratory infections were associated with poor clinical outcome of COVID-19 in a prospective, observational cohort of 589 critically ill adults, all of whom required mechanical ventilation.

Modulation of Gastrointestinal Mucus Properties with Ionic Liquids for Drug Delivery.

The mucus barrier lining the gastrointestinal tract poses a significant barrier to the oral delivery of macromolecular drugs. Successful approaches to overcoming this barrier have primarily focused on reducing drug and carrier interactions with mucus or disrupting the mucus layer directly. Choline-based ionic liquids (ILs) such as choline geranate and choline glycolate (CGLY) have recently been shown to be effective in enhancing the intestinal absorption of macromolecules such as insulin and immunoglobulin (IgG), respectively.

Microbial signatures in the lower airways of mechanically ventilated COVID19 patients associated with poor clinical outcome.

Mortality among patients with COVID-19 and respiratory failure is high and there are no known lower airway biomarkers that predict clinical outcome. We investigated whether bacterial respiratory infections and viral load were associated with poor clinical outcome and host immune tone. We obtained bacterial and fungal culture data from 589 critically ill subjects with COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation.

Microbial signatures in the lower airways of mechanically ventilated COVID19 patients associated with poor clinical outcome.

Mortality among patients with COVID-19 and respiratory failure is high and there are no known lower airway biomarkers that predict clinical outcome. We investigated whether bacterial respiratory infections and viral load were associated with poor clinical outcome and host immune tone. We obtained bacterial and fungal culture data from 589 critically ill subjects with COVID-19 requiring mechanical ventilation.