Healthcare Costs Across Diabetic Kidney Disease Stages: A Veterans Affairs Study.

Background: In the United States, diabetic kidney disease (DKD) affects about one-third of individuals with type 2 diabetes, causing significant economic burdens on the health care system and affecting patients' quality of life.

Objective: The aim of the study was to quantify the burden of care in patients at different stages of DKD and to monitor shifts in healthcare costs throughout these stages.

Methods: This study used data from the Veterans Affairs National database, focusing on US veterans diagnosed with DKD between January 2016 and March 2022.

Improving prediction of progression of idiopathic scoliosis based on curve size and skeletal maturity.

Purpose: To define the risk of curve progression of idiopathic scoliosis (IS) to 35°, 40°, 45°, and 50° based on current curve magnitude and Sanders stage for boys and girls, using a large cohort of patients and encounters, to improve granularity and allow more accurate estimations to guide treatment.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected scoliosis database. Generalized estimation equation logistic regression models estimated probabilities of curve progression to 35°, 40°, 45°, and 50° based on starting curve size and Sanders stage.

Engineering 3D Scaffold-Free Nanoparticle-Laden Stem Cell Constructs for Piezoelectric Enhancement of Human Neural Tissue Formation and Function.

Electrical stimulation (ES) of cellular systems can be utilized for biotechnological applications and electroceuticals (bioelectric medicine). Neural cell stimulation especially has a long history in neuroscience research and is increasingly applied for clinical therapies. Application of ES via conventional electrodes requires external connectors and power sources, hindering scientific and therapeutic applications.