Medicare Payment for Calcium Modification Technologies Among Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, 2021-2022.

Background: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) New Technology Add-on Payment (NTAP) program supports adoption of new, costly medical technologies demonstrating substantial clinical improvement. In 2021, CMS waived the "substantial clinical improvement" criterion for devices designated under the FDA Breakthrough Devices Program (BDP). This study characterized risk-standardized payments associated with hospitalizations in which Medicare beneficiaries received calcium modification during PCI for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) following the adoption of the Shockwave C Coronary Intravascular Lithotripsy (IVL) Catheter (Shockwave Medical) with BDP designation.

Two-dimensional Czochralski growth of single-crystal MoS.

Batch production of single-crystal two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides is one prerequisite for the fabrication of next-generation integrated circuits. Contemporary strategies for the wafer-scale high-quality crystallinity of 2D materials centre on merging unidirectionally aligned, differently sized domains. However, an imperfectly merged area with a translational lattice brings about a high defect density and low device uniformity, which restricts the application of the 2D materials.

Effects of Virtual Reality Therapy for Patients With Breast Cancer During Chemotherapy: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Patients with breast cancer endure high levels of psychological and physical pain. Virtual reality (VR) may be an acceptable, safe intervention to alleviate the negative emotions and pain of patients with cancer.

Objective: We aimed to test the long-term effects of VR on psychological distress and quality of life (QOL) with traditional care in Chinese patients with breast cancer.

A 2D Optoelectronic Logic Device with Ultralow Supply Voltage.

Optoelectronic logic devices (OELDs) provide a cure for many visually impaired individuals. However, traditional OELDs have limitations, such as excessive channel resistance and complex structure, leading to high supply voltage and decreased efficiency of signal transmission. We report ultralow-voltage OELDs by seriating two 2D MoTe transistors with sub-10 nm channel lengths.

Conditional Dynamics in Heterodyne Detection of Superradiant Lasing with Incoherently Pumped Atoms.

In this Letter, we use quantum trajectory theory to simulate heterodyne detection of narrow bandwidth superradiant lasing from an incoherently excited atomic ensemble. To this end, we describe the system dynamics and account for stochastic measurement backaction by second-order mean-field theory. Our simulations show how heterodyne measurements break the phase symmetry, and initiate the atomic coherence with a random phase and a long temporal phase coherence.

The association between prolonged SARS-CoV-2 symptoms and work outcomes.

While the early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the United States labor market are well-established, less is known about the long-term impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection and Long COVID on employment. To address this gap, we analyzed self-reported data from a prospective, national cohort study to estimate the effects of SARS-CoV-2 symptoms at three months post-infection on missed workdays and return to work. The analysis included 2,939 adults in the Innovative Support for Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infections Registry (INSPIRE) study who tested positive for their initial SARS-CoV-2 infection at the time of enrollment, were employed before the pandemic, and completed a baseline and three-month electronic survey.

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome After SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Importance: Chronic symptoms reported following an infection with SARS-CoV-2, such as cognitive problems, overlap with symptoms included in the definition of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of ME/CFS-like illness subsequent to acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, changes in ME/CFS symptoms through 12 months of follow-up, and the association of ME/CFS symptoms with SARS-CoV-2 test results at the acute infection-like index illness.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This prospective, multisite, longitudinal cohort study (Innovative Support for Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infections Registry [INSPIRE]) enrolled participants from December 11, 2020, to August 29, 2022.

Relative efficacy of antibody-drug conjugates and other anti-HER2 treatments on survival in HER2-positive advanced breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Novel antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) drugs present a promising anti-cancer treatment, although survival benefits for HER2-positive advanced breast cancer (BC) remain controversial. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the comparative effect of ADCs and other anti-HER2 therapy on progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) for treatment of HER2-positive locally advanced or metastatic BC.

Methods: Relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were retrieved from five databases.

Conservative management or cesarean hysterectomy for placenta accreta spectrum in middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Cesarean hysterectomy is a dominant and effective approach during delivery in patients with placenta accreta spectrum (PAS). However, as hysterectomy results in a loss of fertility, conservative management is an alternative approach. However, management selection may be affected by a country's overall economic level.

The spliceosome-associated protein CWC15 promotes miRNA biogenesis in Arabidopsis.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a key role in regulating gene expression and their biogenesis is precisely controlled through modulating the activity of microprocessor. Here, we report that CWC15, a spliceosome-associated protein, acts as a positive regulator of miRNA biogenesis. CWC15 binds the promoters of genes encoding miRNAs (MIRs), promotes their activity, and increases the occupancy of DNA-dependent RNA polymerases at MIR promoters, suggesting that CWC15 positively regulates the transcription of primary miRNA transcripts (pri-miRNAs).

Ethnic and racial differences in self-reported symptoms, health status, activity level, and missed work at 3 and 6 months following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Introduction: Data on ethnic and racial differences in symptoms and health-related impacts following SARS-CoV-2 infection are limited. We aimed to estimate the ethnic and racial differences in symptoms and health-related impacts 3 and 6 months after the first SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Methods: Participants included adults with SARS-CoV-2 infection enrolled in a prospective multicenter US study between 12/11/2020 and 7/4/2022 as the primary cohort of interest, as well as a SARS-CoV-2-negative cohort to account for non-SARS-CoV-2-infection impacts, who completed enrollment and 3-month surveys ( = 3,161; 2,402 SARS-CoV-2-positive, 759 SARS-CoV-2-negative).

Myometrium infection decreases TREK1 through NHE1 and increases contraction in pregnant mice.

Intrauterine infection during pregnancy can enhance uterine contractions. A two-pore K channel TREK1 is crucial for maintaining uterine quiescence and reducing contractility, with its properties regulated by pH changes in cell microenvironment. Meanwhile, the sodium hydrogen exchanger 1 (NHE1) plays a pivotal role in modulating cellular pH homeostasis, and its activation increases smooth muscle tension.

The CXCLs-CXCR2 axis modulates the cross-communication between tumor-associated neutrophils and tumor cells in cervical cancer.

Objective: This study aimed to check the expression profile of the C-X-C motif chemokine ligands (CXCLs)-C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 2 (CXCR2) axis in cervical cancer and to explore the cross-talk between cervical cancer cells and neutrophils via CXCLs-CXCR2 axis.

Methods: Available RNA-sequencing data based on bulk tissues and single-cell/nucleus RNA-sequencing data were used for bioinformatic analysis. Cervical cancer cell lines Hela and SiHa cells were utilized for in and studies.

Measuring Equity in Readmission as a Distinct Assessment of Hospital Performance.

Importance: Equity is an essential domain of health care quality. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) developed 2 Disparity Methods that together assess equity in clinical outcomes.

Objectives: To define a measure of equitable readmissions; identify hospitals with equitable readmissions by insurance (dual eligible vs non-dual eligible) or patient race (Black vs White); and compare hospitals with and without equitable readmissions by hospital characteristics and performance on accountability measures (quality, cost, and value).

Functional characteristics of Dicer genes in Plutella xylostella.

Background: Dicer is an endonuclease that belongs to the RNase III family and can specifically recognize and cleave double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). In most insects, there are two Dicer genes, Dicer-1 (Dcr-1) and Dicer-2 (Dcr-2), which are involved in the micro-RNA and small-interfering RNA pathways in many species, respectively. The function of Dicer in Plutella xylostella remains unknown.

Transcription factor OsMYB30 increases trehalose content to inhibit α-amylase and seed germination at low temperature.

Low-temperature germination (LTG) is an important agronomic trait for direct-seeding cultivation of rice (Oryza sativa). Both OsMYB30 and OsTPP1 regulate the cold stress response in rice, but the function of OsMYB30 and OsTPP1 in regulating LTG and the underlying molecular mechanism remains unknown. Employing transcriptomics and functional studies revealed a sugar signaling pathway that regulates seed germination in response to low temperature (LT).

JANUS, a spliceosome-associated protein, promotes miRNA biogenesis in Arabidopsis.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of genes expression. Their levels are precisely controlled through modulating the activity of the microprocesser complex (MC). Here, we report that JANUS, a homology of the conserved U2 snRNP assembly factor in yeast and human, is required for miRNA accumulation.

Thinking Styles and Creativity: The Mediating Role of Psychological Adjustment in College Students.

The observation and cultivation of university students' creativity have always been of enormous concern to the Chinese government. The present research delved into the influence of three dimensions of the Chinese thinking style (Interconnection, Change, and Contradiction) on creativity and the mediating role of psychological adjustment in college students. Specifically, Study 1 investigated the relationship between university students' thinking styles and creativity through self-reported questionnaires.