Vessel strike encounter risk model informs mortality risk for endangered North Atlantic right whales along the United States east coast.

Vessel strikes are a critical threat to endangered North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis), significantly contributing to their elevated mortality. Accurate estimates of these mortality rates are essential for developing effective management strategies to aid in the species' recovery. This study enhances existing vessel strike models by incorporating detailed regional data on vessel traffic characteristics as well as whale distribution and behavior.

Pilot study evaluation of the eQUANT™ system for accelerated antimicrobial susceptibility testing of gram-negative organisms directly from positive blood cultures.

We describe results from a multicenter pilot study evaluating the eQUANT system for rapid generation of a standardized inoculum (0.5 McFarland equivalent) directly from blood cultures positive for target gram-negative bloodstream pathogens for same-day antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) by disk diffusion, MicroScan and Vitek2 methods. Out of 167 blood cultures that met study criteria (monomicrobial with one of 9 target gram-negative species), colony counts from eQUANT suspensions of 164 (98.

Feasibility and acceptability of wearing a neuromodulation device at night in individuals in recovery from opioid use disorder.

Introduction: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a serious and persistent problem in the United States with limited non-pharmacological treatment options, especially for the concomitant sleep disorders experienced by most individuals with addiction. While new, non-invasive interventions such as low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) have shown promise in targeting the brain regions impacted throughout addiction and recovery, the devices used are not amenable to outpatient treatment in their current form factor and cannot be used at night during sleep. To bridge this gap and provide a much-needed treatment option for repeated, at-home use, we developed a wearable LIFU device out-of-clinic use.

Mass Spectrometry Imaging Distinguishes Biliary Toxicants on the Basis of Cellular Distribution.

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) was used to investigate and provide insights into observed biliary pathology found in dogs and rats after administration of two different compounds. Both compounds were associated with peribiliary inflammatory infiltrates and proliferation of the bile duct epithelium. However, MSI revealed very different spatial distribution profiles for the two compounds: Compound A showed significant accumulation within the bile duct epithelium with a much higher concentration than in the parenchymal hepatocytes, while Compound T exhibited only a slight increase in the bile duct epithelium compared to parenchymal hepatocytes.

Adult Pharmacy Costs and Characteristics of Very High-Cost Prescription Drug Users in the United States, 2018-2022.

Objective: This study sought to identify: (1) the demographic and clinical characteristics of very high-cost users (defined as patients with pharmaceutical expenditures that were equal to or greater than the 99th percentile), (2) whether or not these characteristics changed over time, (3) sociodemographic and clinical correlates of being very high-cost users, (4) the average pharmaceutical costs of very-high cost users, and (5) the therapeutic classes and medications that contributed to these high costs.

Background: There are growing public concerns about rising drug costs, in part due to increased availability, greater effectiveness, and market considerations. There is a concentrated portion of patients that accounts for a disproportionately large portion of pharmaceutical expenditures.

Area deprivation index impact on type 2 diabetes outcomes in a regional health plan.

Background: Rates of attainment of high-quality diabetes care have been shown to be lower for those living in more disadvantaged and rural areas. Diabetes management relies on access to care and is impacted by physical, social, and economic factors. Area deprivation index (ADI) is one way to quantify geographic disparities in aggregate.

ARGONAUT-IV: susceptibility of carbapenemase-producing to the oral bicyclic boronate β-lactamase inhibitor ledaborbactam combined with ceftibuten.

Ledaborbactam (formerly VNRX-5236), a bicyclic boronate β-lactamase inhibitor with activity against class A, C, and D β-lactamases, is under development as an orally bioavailable etzadroxil prodrug (VNRX-7145) in combination with ceftibuten for the treatment of urinary tract infections. At ceftibuten breakpoints of ≤1 mg/L (EUCAST) and ≤8 mg/L (CLSI), 92.5% and 99.

Patient-reported disability progression outcomes among patients with multiple sclerosis: Results of an outcomes-based agreement.

Background: Outcomes-based agreements (OBAs) are agreements between payers and manufacturers in which payment for medications is tied to patient outcomes. These contracts aim to measure the value of prescription medications on predefined clinical indicators in real-world patient populations. OBAs are gaining traction in the United States as the health care industry shifts from volume-based to value-based care.

Patterned wireless transcranial optogenetics generates artificial perception.

Synthesizing perceivable artificial neural inputs independent of typical sensory channels remains a fundamental challenge in the development of next-generation brain-machine interfaces. Establishing a minimally invasive, wirelessly effective, and miniaturized platform with long-term stability is crucial for creating a clinically meaningful interface capable of mediating artificial perceptual feedback. In this study, we demonstrate a miniaturized fully implantable wireless transcranial optogenetic encoder designed to generate artificial perceptions through digitized optogenetic manipulation of large cortical ensembles.

Patient reported outcomes and the real-world use of calcitonin gene-related peptide medications in migraine.

Objective: To assess patient reported outcomes of patients with migraine receiving preventative medications, and to compare patient reported outcomes and unplanned care of patients on calcitonin gene-related peptide inhibitors (CGRPi) with those on other preventative medications.

Background: Patient reported outcome measures can be useful in conditions such as migraine with frequent disability. CGRPi are newer migraine preventative medications that can improve patients' quality of life.

Computer-Simulated Virtual Image Datasets to Train Machine Learning Models for Non-Invasive Fish Detection in Recirculating Aquaculture.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) can assist producers to better manage recirculating aquaculture systems (RASs). ML is a data-intensive process, and model performance primarily depends on the quality of training data. Relatively higher fish density and water turbidity in intensive RAS culture produce major challenges in acquiring high-quality underwater image data.

ARGONAUT-III and -V: susceptibility of carbapenem-resistant and multidrug-resistant to the bicyclic boronate β-lactamase inhibitor taniborbactam combined with cefepime.

Taniborbactam, a bicyclic boronate β-lactamase inhibitor with activity against carbapenemase (KPC), Verona integron-encoded metallo-β-lactamase (VIM), New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM), extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs), OXA-48, and AmpC β-lactamases, is under clinical development in combination with cefepime. Susceptibility of 200 previously characterized carbapenem-resistant and 197 multidrug-resistant (MDR) to cefepime-taniborbactam and comparators was determined by broth microdilution. For (192 KPC; 7 OXA-48-related), MIC values of β-lactam components for cefepime-taniborbactam, ceftazidime-avibactam, and meropenem-vaborbactam were 2, 2, and 1 mg/L, respectively.

Anterior cervical hybrid constructs reduce superior adjacent segment burden compared to multilevel anterior cervical discectomy and fusion.

Background: Traditional surgical treatment for symptomatic cervical degenerative disc disease is anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), yet the increased risk of adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) requiring additional surgery exists and may result in limiting long-term surgical success when it occurs. Disc arthroplasty can preserve or restore physiologic range of motion (ROM), decreasing adjacent level stress and subsequent surgery. For patients with multilevel pathology requiring at least a 1-level fusion, interest is growing in anterior cervical hybrid (ACH) surgery as a partial motion-preserving procedure to decrease the adjacent level burden.

Endotoxin, a novel biomarker for the rapid risk assessment of faecal contamination of coastal and transitional waters.

Current methods for testing water for faecal contamination rely on the culture of faecal indicator bacteria (FIB; and ) that take 24-48 h, which leads to delays in taking proactive measures and poses a risk to public health. More rapid methods are therefore required. Here, we have tested a rapid, portable assay (Bacterisk) that detects the bacterial biomarker endotoxin in 30 min to quantify the bacterial biomass present, to evaluate 159 coastal water samples and to compare the results with the traditional culture of FIB.

Trends in Pediatric Attention-Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Diagnoses and Prescription Utilization: 2016 to 2019.

Objective: Attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders among children, with estimated prevalence of 7% to 15% worldwide. The aim of this analysis was to update and summarize trends in diagnosis, demographics, and drug utilization of pediatric patients with ADHD.

Methods: We used the Agency for Health care Research and Quality Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a survey of US individuals, families, their medical providers, and employers, using datasets from 2016 to 2019.

An integrated microfluidic and fluorescence platform for probing in vivo neuropharmacology.

Neurotechnologies and genetic tools for dissecting neural circuit functions have advanced rapidly over the past decade, although the development of complementary pharmacological method-ologies has comparatively lagged. Understanding the precise pharmacological mechanisms of neuroactive compounds is critical for advancing basic neurobiology and neuropharmacology, as well as for developing more effective treatments for neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. However, integrating modern tools for assessing neural activity in large-scale neural networks with spatially localized drug delivery remains a major challenge.

Preliminary Results from a Phase IV Surveillance Study of Medical Cannabis Use in Australian Patients With Advanced Cancer Receiving Palliative Care.

Our research group is conducting three large randomized placebo-controlled trials of medicinal cannabis for cancer symptoms. All participants are invited to take part in a posttrial surveillance study. Participants were given the manufacturers dosing instructions and liberty to titrate to effect.

Pseudo-Hypobicarbonatemia in Patients With Hypertriglyceridemia.

Hypobicarbonatemia with an elevated anion gap on a metabolic panel is frequently the initial marker of a life-threatening condition such as diabetic ketoacidosis in a patient with epigastric pain. The two commonly used means of measuring bicarbonate levels are direct measurement from a metabolic panel and calculated measurement from arterial blood gas. In this case report, we would like to highlight a potentially serious deficiency in one of these two means and how it may lead to a dangerous misdiagnosis and subsequent mismanagement.

Automated detection of methicillin-resistant with the MRSA CHROM imaging application on BD Kiestra Total Lab Automation System.

The virulence of methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and its potentially fatal outcome necessitate rapid and accurate detection of patients colonized with MRSA in healthcare settings. Using the BD Kiestra Total Lab Automation (TLA) System in conjunction with the MRSA Application (MRSA App), an imaging application that uses artificial intelligence to interpret colorimetric information (mauve-colored colonies) indicative of MRSA pathogen presence on CHROMagar chromogenic media, anterior nares specimens from three sites were evaluated for the presence of mauve-colored colonies. Results obtained with the MRSA App were compared to manual reading of agar plate images by proficient laboratory technologists.