What Explains Inequalities in Telehealth Utilization Among North Carolina Medicaid Beneficiaries?

Increased availability of telehealth can improve access to health care. However, there is evidence of persistent disparities in telehealth usage, as well as among people from minoritized racial and ethnic groups and rural residents. The objective of our work was to explore the degree to which disparities in telehealth use for behavioral health (BH) and musculoskeletal (MSK) related services during the COVID-19 pandemic are explained by observed beneficiary- and area-level characteristics.

Side-by-side comparison of published small molecule inhibitors against thapsigargin-induced store-operated Ca2+ entry in HEK293 cells.

Calcium (Ca2+) is a key second messenger in eukaryotes, with store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) being the main source of Ca2+ influx into non-excitable cells. ORAI1 is a highly Ca2+-selective plasma membrane channel that encodes SOCE. It is ubiquitously expressed in mammals and has been implicated in numerous diseases, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Interventions to Improve Long-Term Adherence to Physical Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of physical rehabilitation interventions, supplemented with one or more adherence-enhancing components, on outcomes among adults with hip or knee osteoarthritis or chronic lower back pain.

Design: Primary literature search from inception of each database to July 27, 2021, guided by relevant search terms and keywords to search titles and abstracts. All articles meeting eligibility criteria were included for data abstraction.

Evaluating Telehealth Uptake Among North Carolina Medicaid Beneficiaries With Musculoskeletal Conditions: Insights From the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: The shift from in-person to virtual visits, known as telehealth (TH), during the COVID-19 pandemic was a significant change for North Carolina (NC) Medicaid beneficiaries seeking treatment for musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, as remote care for these conditions was previously unavailable. We used this policy change to investigate factors associated with TH uptake and whether TH availability mitigated disparities in access to care or affected emergency department (ED) visits among these beneficiaries.

Research Design: Using 2019-2021 NC Medicaid claims, we identified beneficiaries receiving treatment for MSK conditions before COVID-19 (March 2019-February 2020) and analyzed uptake of newly available TH during COVID-19 (April 2020-March 2021).

Expanding access to rehabilitation using mobile health to address musculoskeletal pain and disability.

Introduction: Musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders such as low back pain and osteoarthritis are a leading cause of disability and the leading contributor to the need for rehabilitation services globally. This need has surpassed the availability of trained clinicians; even in urban areas where services and providers are thought to be more abundant, access can be challenged by transportation options and financial costs associated with travel, care and lost time from work. However, continuing standard of fully in-person rehabilitation care for MSK-associated pain and disability may no longer be necessary.

Mind-Body Exercise Performed by Physical Therapists for Reducing Pain and Disability in Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of mind-body (MB) exercise interventions provided by physical therapists for reducing pain and disability in people with low back pain (LBP).

Data Sources: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library were searched for articles published in English between December 2010 and June 2020.

Study Selection: Randomized controlled trials evaluating the effects of Pilates, yoga, and tai chi interventions performed by physical therapists on pain or disability outcomes in adults with musculoskeletal LBP were included.

All non-real worlds provide exploration: Evidence from developmental psychology.

While Dubourg and Baumard argue that predisposition toward exploration draws us to fictional environments, they fail to answer their titular question: "Why Worlds?" Research in pretend play, psychological distancing, and theatre shows that being "imaginary" (i.e., any type of unreal, rather than only fantastically unreal) makes exploration of any fictional world profoundly different than that of real-life unfamiliar environments.

Association of Biomarkers with Individual and Multiple Body Sites of Pain: The Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project.

Introduction: Biochemical biomarkers may provide insight into musculoskeletal pain reported at individual or multiple body sites. The purpose of this study was to determine if biomarkers or pressure-pain threshold (PPT) were associated with individual or multiple sites of pain.

Methods: This cross-sectional analysis included 689 community-based participants.

Association between parenthood and cardiovascular disease risk: Analysis from NHANES 2011-2016.

The objective of this study was to examine the association between parenthood and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among a nationally representative sample of United States adults. A cross sectional analysis was conducted with adults aged 20-59 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2016. Adults were classified as parents and non-parents based on the presence of children birth-17 years in the home.

Interventions for the Management of Acute and Chronic Low Back Pain: Revision 2021.

Low back pain (LBP) remains a musculoskeletal condition with an adverse societal impact. Globally, LBP is highly prevalent and a leading cause of disability. This is an update to the 2012 Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy (AOPT), formerly the Orthopaedic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), clinical practice guideline (CPG) for LBP.

ORAI1 Ca Channel as a Therapeutic Target in Pathological Vascular Remodelling.

In the adult, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) are normally physiologically quiescent, arranged circumferentially in one or more layers within blood vessel walls. Remodelling of native VSMC to a proliferative state for vascular development, adaptation or repair is driven by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). A key effector downstream of PDGF receptors is store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) mediated through the plasma membrane calcium ion channel, ORAI1, which is activated by the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium store sensor, stromal interaction molecule-1 (STIM1).

Orai1 Channel Inhibition Preserves Left Ventricular Systolic Function and Normal Ca Handling After Pressure Overload.

Background: Orai1 is a critical ion channel subunit, best recognized as a mediator of store-operated Ca entry (SOCE) in nonexcitable cells. SOCE has recently emerged as a key contributor of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure but the relevance of Orai1 is still unclear.

Methods: To test the role of these Orai1 channels in the cardiac pathophysiology, a transgenic mouse was generated with cardiomyocyte-specific expression of an ion pore-disruptive Orai1 mutant (C-dnO1).

Tonantzitlolone is a nanomolar potency activator of transient receptor potential canonical 1/4/5 channels.

Background And Purpose: The diterpene ester tonantzitlolone (TZL) is a natural product, which displays cytotoxicity towards certain types of cancer cell such as renal cell carcinoma cells. The effect is similar to that of (-)-englerin A, and so, although it is chemically distinct, we investigated whether TZL also targets transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channels of the 1, 4 and 5 type (TRPC1/4/5 channels).

Experimental Approach: The effects of TZL on renal cell carcinoma A498 cells natively expressing TRPC1 and TRPC4, modified HEK293 cells overexpressing TRPC4, TRPC5, TRPC4-TRPC1 or TRPC5-TRPC1 concatemer, TRPC3 or TRPM2, or CHO cells overexpressing TRPV4 were studied by determining changes in intracellular Ca , or whole-cell or excised membrane patch-clamp electrophysiology.