Detecting Mild Traumatic Brain Injury after Combat Deployment: Agreement Between Veterans Health Administration Clinical System and LIMBIC-CENC Research Protocol.

Identifying historical mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) is important for many clinical care reasons; however, diagnosing mild TBI is inherently challenging and utility of screening is unknown. This study compares a standardized research process to an established clinical process for screening and diagnosis of historical mild TBI during combat deployment in a military/Veteran cohort. Using validated instruments, the Long-term Impact of Military-relevant Brain Injury Consortium-Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium (LIMBIC-CENC) prospective longitudinal study (PLS) screens for all potential concussive events (PCEs) and conducts structured concussion diagnostic interviews for each PCE.

Elevation of spectral components of electrodermal activity precedes central nervous system oxygen toxicity symptoms in divers.

Background: Oxygen-rich breathing mixtures up to 100% are used in some underwater diving operations for several reasons. Breathing elevated oxygen partial pressures (PO) increases the risk of developing central nervous system oxygen toxicity (CNS-OT) which could impair performance or result in a seizure and subsequent drowning. We aimed to study the dynamics of the electrodermal activity (EDA) and heart rate (HR) while breathing elevated PO in the hyperbaric environment (HBO) as a possible means to predict impending CNS-OT.

Impact of COVID-19 on newborn hearing screening (NBHS) and early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) services: A statewide analysis of differences and policy implications.

Introduction: This study investigates the pandemic's impact on newborn hearing screening (NBHS) and access to hearing services for children in Utah. Specifically, it explores the differences in NBHS rates, diagnostic hearing testing, early intervention enrollment, and congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) screening before and during the pandemic.

Methods: Utilizing a comprehensive statewide Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) database, we analyzed data from January 2017 to December 2021, excluding a 6-month period preceding March 16, 2020, to eliminate potential confounders related to pandemic onset.

Congenital Cytomegalovirus Testing Outcomes From the ValEAR Trial.

Objective: To determine the positivity rate of congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) testing among universal, hearing-targeted CMV testing (HT-cCMV) and delayed targeted dried blood spot (DBS) testing newborn screening programs, and to examine the characteristics of successful HT-cCMV testing programs.

Study Design: Prospective survey of birth hospitals performing early CMV testing.

Setting: Multiple institutions.

Impact of COVID-19 visitation policies and hospital capacity on discharge readiness in medicine patients.

Background: COVID-19 impacted the experience of being hospitalized with the widespread adoption of strict visitation policies to ensure healthcare worker safety. One result was decreased time of caregivers at the bedside of hospitalized patients.

Objective: To understand the impact of pandemic-related system effects on patient-reported discharge preparation.

Headache among combat-exposed veterans and service members and its relation to mild traumatic brain injury history and other factors: a LIMBIC-CENC study.

Background: Headache (HA) is a common persistent complaint following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), but the association with remote mTBI is not well established, and risk factors are understudied.

Objective: Determine the relationship of mTBI history and other factors with HA prevalence and impact among combat-exposed current and former service members (SMs).

Design: Secondary cross-sectional data analysis from the Long-Term Impact of Military-Relevant Brain Injury Consortium-Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium prospective longitudinal study.

Pre-cleaning of hair is not beneficial in LA-ICP-MS studies of chronic metal exposure.

Chronic exposure to toxic metals is a serious global health concern. However, population-wide biomonitoring is costly and carries several sampling constraints. Though hair sampling can be a useful way to assess environmental exposure, external contamination is a long-standing concern, and a pre-cleaning step prior to metal quantification has long been recommended despite a lack of evidence for its efficacy.

A feasibility study to understand the components of behavioral sleep extension.

Objectives: The goal of this study was to examine the contribution of sleep extension intervention components (wearable sleep tracker and coaching) on sleep extension outcomes.

Patient Involvement: This study collected open ended qualitative responses of treatment preference, acceptability, and feasibility as a key outcome.

Methods: Adults aged 25 to 65 years with sleep duration <7 h and BMI ≥ 25 were randomized into one of four groups: Self-Management (control), Fitbit, Telephone Coaching, or Fitbit + Coaching.

In vitro exposure to benzo[a]pyrene damages the developing mouse ovary.

Females are born with a finite number of oocytes, collectively termed the ovarian reserve, established within the developing fetal ovary. Consequently, maternal exposure to reproductive toxicants can have harmful effects on the future fertility of her unborn female fetus. The chemical benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) is a prominent component of cigarette smoke.

Circadian Timing, Information processing and Metabolism (TIME) study: protocol of a longitudinal study of sleep duration, circadian alignment and cardiometabolic health among overweight adults.

Background: Both short sleep duration and circadian rhythm misalignment are risk factors for metabolic dysfunction, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. The goal of this study is to examine how sleep duration and circadian alignment predict changes in cardiometabolic risk factors over a 12-month period, and test cognitive function and hedonic eating tendencies as potential mechanisms.

Methods: We will recruit a sample of 120 working aged adults with BMI 25-35 kg/m (overweight to class I obesity).

Greater spatial access to care is associated with lower mortality for emergency general surgery.

Background: Emergency general surgery (EGS) diseases are time-sensitive conditions that require urgent surgical evaluation, yet the effect of geographic access to care on outcomes remains unclear. We examined the association of spatial access with outcomes for common EGS conditions.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of twelve 2014 State Inpatient Databases, identifying adults admitted with eight EGS conditions, was performed.

Identification of Rodent Husbandry Refinement Opportunities through Benchmarking and Collaboration.

Expanding the use of methods that refine, reduce, and replace (3Rs) the use of animals in research is fundamental for both ethical and scientific reasons. The mission of the 3Rs Translational and Predictive Sciences Leadership Group (3Rs TPS LG) of the International Consortium for Innovation and Quality in Pharmaceutical Development (IQ Consortium) is to promote sharing and integration of science and technology to advance the 3Rs in the discovery and development of new medicines, vaccines, medical devices, and health care products for humans and animals. The 3Rs TPS LG is dedicated to identifying opportunities for member companies to share practices, enhance learning, promote discussions, and advance the 3Rs across the industry.

Paramagnetic rims are a promising diagnostic imaging biomarker in multiple sclerosis.

Background: White matter lesions (WMLs) on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in multiple sclerosis (MS) may contribute to misdiagnosis. In chronic active lesions, peripheral iron-laden macrophages appear as paramagnetic rim lesions (PRLs).

Objective: To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of PRLs in differentiating MS from mimics using clinical 3T MRI scanners.

Longitudinal clinical study of patients with iron rim lesions in multiple sclerosis.

Background: Iron rims (IRs) surrounding white matter lesions (WMLs) are suggested to predict a more severe disease course. Only small longitudinal cohorts of patients with and without iron rim lesions (IRLs) have been reported so far.

Objective: To assess whether the presence and number of IRLs in patients with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) and multiple sclerosis (MS) are associated with long-term disability or progressive disease.

Decentralised clinical trials in multiple sclerosis research.

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) play an important role in multiple sclerosis (MS) research, ensuring that new interventions are safe and efficacious before their introduction into clinical practice. Trials have been evolving to improve the robustness of their designs and the efficiency of their conduct. Advances in digital and mobile technologies in recent years have facilitated this process and the first RCTs with decentralised elements became possible.

A Vascular Quality Initiative frailty assessment predicts postdischarge mortality in patients undergoing arterial reconstruction.

Background: Frailty assessment adds important prognostic information during preoperative decision-making but can be cumbersome to implement into routine clinical care. We developed and tested an abbreviated method of frailty assessment using variables routinely collected by the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) registry.

Methods: An abbreviated frailty score (the simple Vascular Quality Initiative-Frailty Score [VQI-FS]) was developed using 11 or fewer VQI variables (hypertension, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, renal impairment, anemia, underweight, nonhome residence, and nonambulatory status) that map to recognized frailty domains in the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment and the literature.

Does training paradigm matter? A comparison of outcomes of frail patients treated by integrated vascular surgery residency and vascular surgery fellowship-trained surgeons.

Background: It is unclear whether shortened training of integrated vascular surgery residencies (IVSR) has detrimental effects on graduates' performance. We sought to investigate whether there is a difference in frail patient outcomes based on the training paradigm completed by their surgeon.

Methods: IVSR and vascular surgery fellowship (VSF)-trained surgeons were identified in the American Board of Surgery database and linked to the Vascular Quality Initiative registry (2013-2019) to evaluate provider-specific patient outcomes for frail patients following vascular procedures using mixed-effects logistic regression.

Relation of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury history to abnormalities on a preliminary Neuroendocrine screen; A multicenter LIMBIC-CENC analysis.

Primary Objectives: Determine if an abnormal preliminary neuroendocrine disorder (NED) blood test screen is associated with mild TBI (mTBI) history or post-concussiveclinical features.

Research Design: Observational.

Methods: Among 1,520 participants with military combatexposure, we measured randomly timed serum levels of insulin-likegrowth factor-1, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), and total testosterone as a preliminary NED screen.

C-C Chemokine Receptor 7 in Cancer.

C-C chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7) was one of the first two chemokine receptors that were found to be upregulated in breast cancers. Chemokine receptors promote chemotaxis of cells and tissue organization. Since under homeostatic conditions, CCR7 promotes migration of immune cells to lymph nodes, questions immediately arose regarding the ability of CCR7 to direct migration of cancer cells to lymph nodes.

Can antioxidants protect against chemotherapy in a rat spermatogonial stem cell line?

Boys administered chemotherapy to treat cancer are at risk of damage to their healthy testicular tissue, which can lead to infertility in adulthood. Researchers are therefore investigating treatments to protect the testis during cancer treatment. Here, cells originating from rat testicles were cultured for 4 days and exposed to chemotherapy drugs with or without antioxidants for the final 2 days.

Caregiver Quality of Life After Cochlear Implantation in Older Adults.

Objective: To evaluate factors affecting quality of life (QOL) in caregivers of older cochlear implant (CI) recipients.

Study Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Setting: Academic medical center.

The contemporary role of MRI in the monitoring and management of people with multiple sclerosis in the UK.

Background: Compare the contemporary use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the monitoring and management of people with MS in the UK to current consensus guidelines.

Methods: This retrospective multicentre audit of clinical practice gathered data on 2567 patients with MS from 25 MS centres across the UK.

Results: Routine monitoring (44.

Cognitive measures used in adults with multiple sclerosis: A systematic review.

Cognitive problems are common in people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and researchers and clinicians have used a vast array of measures to assess cognition. Our aim was to systematically identify cognitive measures routinely used in MS research, and outline their different uses. Previous recommendations of cognitive measures to use in MS have relied on expert consensus approaches.