School reopenings, COVID-19, and employment.

Using a panel of United States counties, this study compares outcomes before and during the 2020-2021 school year between locations that started K-12 instruction on campus, remotely, or through a hybrid approach. Corroborating recent studies, we find comparatively larger increases of COVID-19 cases and deaths in locations using any in-person instruction. Within the same empirical framework, we present robust new evidence that employment was unaffected by this choice, even in counties with more vulnerable populations.

Conditional cash lotteries increase COVID-19 vaccination rates.

Conditional cash lotteries (CCLs) provide people with opportunities to win monetary prizes only if they make specific behavioral changes. We conduct a case study of Ohio's Vax-A-Million initiative, the first CCL targeting COVID-19 vaccinations. Forming a synthetic control from other states, we find that Ohios incentive scheme increases the vaccinated share of state population by 1.

Feeding Children and Maintaining Food Service Operations during COVID-19: A Mixed Methods Investigation of Implementation and Financial Challenges.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs are critical for the health and food security of U.S. schoolchildren, but access to these programs was disrupted by COVID-19 pandemic-related school closures in spring 2020.

Large para-testicular intra-scrotal malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor managed with radical penectomy: A case report.

Neurofibromatosis 1 is a relatively rare genetic disease characterized by widespread neurofibromas originating from the peripheral nervous system. Most growths are benign, but some carry a risk of transformation to malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors. Although these growths can be found anywhere in the body, they are rarely found in the male external genitalia.

Association between the lengths of excised obstructed vas deferens segments at the time of vasovasostomy and surgical outcomes.

Objective: This study aimed to determine whether the length of the excised obstructed vas deferens at vasovasostomy (VV) performed for fertility is associated with semen parameters and/or pregnancy outcomes postoperatively.

Material And Methods: The patients who underwent a VV at our institution from September 2004 to December 2018 were contacted via questionnaire and a chart review was performed. Linear and logistic regression models were used to determine the associations between the length of the obstructed vas deferens removed and postoperative outcomes including sperm concentration, motility, and successful pregnancy after reversal.

Cell cycle progression score has potential prognostic value for stage T1 renal cell carcinomas.

Background: There is an ongoing effort to identify a biomarker which predicts metastatic progression of renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Objective: To evaluate the utility of the cell cycle progression (CCP) score biomarker in predicting metastasis in RCC after local resection of pathologic T1 disease.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Pathologic T1 tumors at the University of Iowa were reviewed in patients who had a radical or partial nephrectomy between 1995 and 2010.

Elderly patients undergoing cystectomy, comparing preoperative American Society of Anesthesiology and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group scores and operative approaches.

Objective: To evaluate preoperative scoring systems and operative management and their relation to complications in patients older than 75 years undergoing cystectomy at two academic institutions.

Methods: In total, 212 patients aged 75-95 years with muscle invasive bladder cancer underwent cystectomy at the University of Utah and Central Hospital of Bolzano, Italy. The rates of Grade 3 Clavien-Dindo complications and above in radical cystectomy patients (n = 199) were compared using Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Scores and American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification.

Optimizing Nutrition Prior to Radical Cystectomy.

Purpose Of Review: Malnutrition in a prevalent problem in patients undergoing radical cystectomy. Preoperative malnutrition has been shown to contribute to increased rates of postoperative complications. Given the significant morbidity and mortality of the procedure of radical cystectomy, there is potential for improvement in patient outcomes by nutritional intervention.

A 26-Year-Old Male with a 14-Year History of Left Intermittent Testicular Torsion Treated with Self-Manual Reduction.

Intermittent testicular torsion presents with recurrent episodes of severe unilateral testicular pain with resolution of symptoms between episodes. We present a case of a 26-year-old man with a 14-year history of intermittent testicular pain presenting to the urology clinic for elective surgical evaluation. He reported monthly symptoms for many years and had learned to manually reduce the torsion with each episode.

Use of a polytetrafluoroethylene (GORE-TEX) bolster to close the renal parenchymal defect during open partial nephrectomy.

Introduction: Numerous surgical techniques have been described to facilitate closure of the renal parenchymal defect. We sought to describe the operative technique and define the safety and efficacy of using an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (GORE-TEX; WL Gore and Associates, Flagstaff, AZ) bolster to aid in closure of the renal parenchymal defect at the time of open partial nephrectomy (OPN).

Technical Considerations: A retrospective review of 175 patients who underwent an OPN using an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) bolster at the Huntsman Cancer Hospital, University of Utah and Salt Lake City Veterans Affairs Medical Center from March 2005 to February 2013 was conducted.

Urologic problems in spina bifida patients transitioning to adult care.

Objective: To identify the urologic needs of adult patients with spina bifida (SB) at the time of their transition from pediatric to adult care. We hypothesized that delays in transition to adult care would be associated with higher rates of active problems.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients seen at adult dedicated SB clinics at the Universities of Utah and Minnesota from April 2011 to April 2012.

Comparison of complications from radical cystectomy between old-old versus oldest-old patients.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare complications after radical cystectomy in patients aged ≥75 years.

Materials And Methods: 251 patients aged 75-95 years (median 79) underwent radical cystectomy between 2000 and 2012 at four institutions. The patients were divided into two groups: ≥75-84 years of age (group 1) versus ≥85 years of age (group 2).

Procedures needed to maintain functionality of adult continent catheterizable channels: a comparison of continent cutaneous ileal cecocystoplasty with tunneled catheterizable channels.

Purpose: We compared the outcomes of various adult continent catheterizable channels in a multi-institutional setting.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the records of all adults who underwent construction of a continent catheterizable channel at our 4 institutions from 2004 to 2013 and who had at least 6 months of followup. Patients were stratified by channel type, including continent cutaneous ileal cecocystoplasty or tunneled cutaneous channel, eg appendicovesicostomy, Monti channel, etc.

Symptom management with massage and acupuncture in postoperative cancer patients: a randomized controlled trial.

The level of evidence for the use of acupuncture and massage for the management of perioperative symptoms in cancer patients is encouraging but inconclusive. We conducted a randomized, controlled trial assessing the effect of massage and acupuncture added to usual care vs. usual care alone in postoperative cancer patients.

Direct antilymphoma activity of novel, first-generation "antibody mimics" that bind HLA-DR10-positive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cells.

A first-generation series of novel small molecules, collectively known as selective high-affinity ligands (SHALs), were designed and synthesized to mimic the binding of Lym-1, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) shown to be an effective cytotoxic and radionuclide carrier molecule for targeting non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). Created as radionuclide targeting molecules, these SHALs were intended to have the human leukocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) selectivity of Lym-1 mAb and the pharmacokinetics of a small molecule. Because of the remarkable bioactivity of Lym-1 in vitro, the direct antilymphoma activity of three of these SHALs was tested.

Safety and efficiency of an anti-(+)-methamphetamine monoclonal antibody in the protection against cardiovascular and central nervous system effects of (+)-methamphetamine in rats.

The purpose of these studies was to determine if a high-affinity, anti-(+)-methamphetamine (METH) monoclonal antibody (mAb6H4; KD=11 nM) protects against METH-induced central nervous and cardiovascular system effects in rats. Rats (n=5 per group) received one of three anti-METH mAb6H4 doses, equal to 0.32, 0.

Berberine sensitizes human glioma cells, but not normal glial cells, to ionizing radiation in vitro.

The identification of nontoxic agents that can enhance the efficacy of postoperative radiotherapy for patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) remains a challenge in oncology. We evaluated human GBM cell lines for their responsiveness to berberine, an alkaloid compound used commonly in Asia as an antibiotic. In experiments measuring clonogenic survival, treatment with a nontoxic dose of berberine rendered GBM cells more sensitive than vehicle-treated control cells to x-rays.

Effects of Hatha yoga and African dance on perceived stress, affect, and salivary cortisol.

Background: Dance and yoga have been shown to produce improvements in psychological well-being.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine some of the psychological and neuroendocrine response to these activities.

Methods: Sixty-nine healthy college students participated in one of three 90-min classes: African dance (n = 21), Hatha yoga (n= 18), or a biology lecture as a control session (n = 30).

Biofield perception: a series of pilot studies with cultured human cells.

Background: Energy medicine (EM) practitioners often claim to be able to perceive an energetic field associated with the body and to be able to use this skill to diagnose illness and guide treatment strategies. If a biofield associated with cells growing in culture is perceptible to EM practitioners, such an in vitro model would be a useful resource for investigating biofield perception that would provide some unique advantages over clinical models.

Objective: To evaluate whether EM practitioners can perceive the presence of cultured human cells without visual cues.

Possible influence of infrasound on glioma cell response to chemotherapy: a pilot study.

Objective: To assess the response of cultured human tumor cells to infrasound in combination with conventional anticancer agents using an infrasound-emitting apparatus marketed as a therapeutic device.

Design: Two pilot experiments measured proliferation of cultured brain tumor cells exposed to three treatment conditions: infrasound emission alone, infrasound in combination with the chemotherapy 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), and infrasound in combination with ionizing radiation. Results from each experimental condition were compared to those from appropriate control conditions.