Blood culture bottle shortage mitigation efforts: analysis of impact on ordering and patient impact.

Objective Design: In June of 2024, Becton Dickinson experienced a blood culture bottle shortage for their BACTEC system, forcing health systems to reduce usage or risk exhausting their supply. Virginia Commonwealth University Health System (VCUHS) in Richmond, VA decided that it was necessary to implement austerity measures to preserve the blood culture bottle supply.

Setting: VCUHS includes a main campus in Richmond, VA as well as two affiliate hospitals in South Hill, VA (Community Memorial Hospital (CMH)) and Tappahannock Hospital in Tappahannock, VA.

Imaging and management of calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease.

The radiological manifestations of calcium pyrophosphate deposition (CPPD) revolve around two main axes: the asymptomatic form and CPPD disease. The latter is a consequence of an immune response to calcium phosphate crystals. Chondrocalcinosis is broadly considered the radiographic manifestation of CPPD regardless of whether it is asymptomatic or associated with inflammatory arthritis.

Comparative Safety and Effectiveness of Bevacizumab Biosimilars to Originator for the Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

Background: Ontario has publicly funded biosimilar bevacizumab for first-line metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) since 2019. Clinical trials demonstrate comparable efficacy and safety of bevacizumab biosimilars to originator bevacizumab. The objective of this study was to assess real-world safety and effectiveness of the implementation of bevacizumab biosimilars compared with originator bevacizumab in patients with mCRC.

Reporting and Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews Underpinning Clinical Practice Guidelines for Vascular Surgery: A Systematic Review.

Objective: Clinical practice guideline recommendations are often informed by systematic reviews. This review aimed to appraise the reporting and methodological quality of systematic reviews informing clinical practice recommendations relevant to vascular surgery.

Data Sources: MEDLINE and Embase.

Abnormal synaptic architecture in iPSC-derived neurons from a multi-generational family with genetic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Genetic prion diseases are caused by mutations in PRNP, which encodes the prion protein (PrP). Why these mutations are pathogenic, and how they alter the properties of PrP are poorly understood. We have consented and accessed 22 individuals of a multi-generational Israeli family harboring the highly penetrant E200K PRNP mutation and generated a library of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) representing nine carriers and four non-carriers.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Bevacizumab Biosimilars Versus Originator Bevacizumab for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: A Comparative Study Using Real-World Data.

Objectives: MVASI (Amgen) and Zirabev (Pfizer) are 2 of the earliest bevacizumab biosimilars approved for the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). We aimed to confirm and quantify the real-world cost savings and cost-effectiveness of MVASI and Zirabev relative to originator bevacizumab for patients with mCRC.

Methods: We conducted a population-based, retrospective cohort study in Ontario, Canada, where originator and biosimilar bevacizumab are universally publicly funded.

Absence of lung tumor promotion with reduced tumor size in mice after inhalation of copper welding fumes.

Welding fumes are a Group 1 (carcinogenic to humans) carcinogen as classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The process of welding creates inhalable fumes rich in iron (Fe) that may also contain known carcinogenic metals such as chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni). Epidemiological evidence has shown that both mild steel (Fe-rich) and stainless steel (Fe-rich + Cr + Ni) welding fume exposure increases lung cancer risk, and experimental animal data support these findings.

Sigma Receptor Ligands Are Potent Antiprion Compounds that Act Independently of Sigma Receptor Binding.

Prion diseases are invariably fatal neurodegenerative diseases of humans and other animals for which there are no effective treatment options. Previous work from our laboratory identified phenethylpiperidines as a novel class of anti-prion compounds. While working to identify the molecular target(s) of these molecules, we unexpectedly discovered ten novel antiprion compounds based on their known ability to bind to the sigma receptors, σR and σR, which are currently being tested as therapeutic or diagnostic targets for cancer and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Application of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to Prioritize Real-World Evidence Studies for Health Technology Management: Outcomes and Lessons Learned by the Canadian Real-World Evidence for Value of Cancer Drugs (CanREValue) Collaboration.

Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is a value assessment tool designed to help support complex decision-making by incorporating multiple factors and perspectives in a transparent, structured approach. We developed an MCDA rating tool, consisting of seven criteria evaluating the importance and feasibility of conducting potential real-world evidence (RWE) studies aimed at addressing uncertainties stemming from initial cancer drug funding recommendations. In collaboration with the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health's Provincial Advisory Group, a validation exercise was conducted to further evaluate the application of the rating tool using RWE proposals varying in complexity.

The value of virtual glaucoma clinics: a review.

Virtual clinics are being utilised to tackle the growing demand for glaucoma healthcare. We conducted a literature search on 28 February 2023 using MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE and Web of Science databases. We searched for studies on virtual glaucoma clinics, published in the English language between 2000 and 2023.

Cost and value of cancer medicines in a single-payer public health system in Ontario, Canada: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The financial impact of cancer medicines on health systems is not well known. We describe temporal trends in expenditure on cancer medicines within the single-payer health system of Ontario, Canada, and the extent of clinical benefit these treatments offer.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we identified cancer medicines and expenditures from formularies and costing databases (the New Drug Funding Program, Ontario Drug Benefit Program, and The High-Cost Therapy Funding Program) during 10 consecutive years (April 1, 2012, to March 31, 2022) in Ontario, Canada.

CT-guided lumbar facet cyst rupture and corticosteroid injection: technique, approach, and procedural and clinical success rates.

Purpose: To evaluate success rates of computed tomography (CT)-guided lumbar facet synovial cyst (LFC) rupture.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all LFC ruptures performed by a single musculoskeletal radiologist with > 10 years of experience, using posterior facet approach and/or direct puncture by ipsilateral/contralateral interlaminar, or transforaminal approach. All patients also received a corticosteroid injection.

Sigma receptor ligands are potent anti-prion compounds that act independently of sigma receptor binding.

Prion diseases are invariably fatal neurodegenerative diseases of humans and other animals for which there are no treatment options. Previous work from our laboratory identified phenethyl piperidines as novel class of anti-prion compounds. While working to identify the molecular target(s) of these molecules, we unexpectedly discovered ten novel anti-prion compounds based on their known ability to bind to the sigma receptors, σ R and R, which are currently being tested as therapeutic or diagnostic targets for cancer and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Early Video-assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery or Intrapleural Enzyme Therapy in Pleural Infection: A Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial. The Third Multicenter Intrapleural Sepsis Trial-MIST-3.

Assessing the early use of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) or intrapleural enzyme therapy (IET) in pleural infection requires a phase III randomized controlled trial (RCT). To establish the feasibility of randomization in a surgery-versus-nonsurgery trial as well as the key outcome measures that are important to identify relevant patient-centered outcomes in a subsequent RCT. The MIST-3 (third Multicenter Intrapleural Sepsis Trial) was a prospective multicenter RCT involving eight U.

Results of the Meso-ORIGINS feasibility study regarding collection of matched benign-mesothelioma tissue pairs by longitudinal surveillance.

Objectives: To assess key elements of the design for Meso-ORIGINS (Mesothelioma Observational study of RIsk prediction and Generation of paired benign-meso tissue samples, Including a Nested MRI Substudy), an ambitious, UK-wide, prospective study that will collect ≥63 matched benign-mesothelioma tissue pairs through longitudinal surveillance and repeat biopsy of patients with asbestos-associated pleural inflammation (AAPI).

Design: A multicentre, mixed-methods feasibility study, comprising a prospective observational element, evaluating recruitment feasibility, technical feasibility of repeat local anaesthetic thoracoscopy (LAT) and patient acceptability, and a retrospective cohort study focused on AAPI-mesothelioma evolution rate, informing sample size.

Setting: 4 UK pleural disease centres (February 2019-January 2020).

A skin lesion hair mask dataset with fine-grained annotations.

Occlusion of skin lesions in dermoscopic images due to hair affects the performance of computer-assisted lesion analysis algorithms. Lesion analysis can benefit from digital hair removal or realistic hair simulation techniques. To assist in that process, we have created the largest publicly available skin lesion hair segmentation mask dataset by carefully annotating 500 dermoscopic images.

Development of a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Rating Tool to Prioritize Real-World Evidence Questions for the Canadian Real-World Evidence for Value of Cancer Drugs (CanREValue) Collaboration.

The Canadian Real-world Evidence for Value of Cancer Drugs (CanREValue) collaboration developed an MCDA rating tool to assess and prioritize potential post-market real-world evidence (RWE) questions/uncertainties emerging from public drug funding decisions in Canada. In collaboration with a group of multidisciplinary stakeholders from across Canada, the rating tool was developed following a three-step process: (1) selection of criteria to assess the importance and feasibility of an RWE question; (2) development of rating scales, application of weights and calculating aggregate scores; and (3) validation testing. An initial MCDA rating tool was developed, composed of seven criteria, divided into two groups.

Cost-effectiveness of second-line ipilimumab for metastatic melanoma: A real-world population-based cohort study of resource utilization.

Background: The efficacy-effectiveness gap between randomized trial and real-world evidence regarding the clinical benefit of ipilimumab for metastatic melanoma (MM) has been well characterized by previous literature, consistent with initial concerns raised by health technology assessment agencies (HTAs). As these differences can significantly impact cost-effectiveness, it is critical to assess the real-world cost-effectiveness of second-line ipilimumab versus non-ipilimumab treatments for MM.

Methods: This was a population-based retrospective cohort study of patients who received second-line non-ipilimumab therapies between 2008 and 2012 versus ipilimumab treatment between 2012 and 2015 (after public reimbursement) for MM in Ontario.

Chemical identification and indexing in full-text articles: an overview of the NLM-Chem track at BioCreative VII.

The BioCreative National Library of Medicine (NLM)-Chem track calls for a community effort to fine-tune automated recognition of chemical names in the biomedical literature. Chemicals are one of the most searched biomedical entities in PubMed, and-as highlighted during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic-their identification may significantly advance research in multiple biomedical subfields. While previous community challenges focused on identifying chemical names mentioned in titles and abstracts, the full text contains valuable additional detail.

Finding the Signal in the Noise-Interday Reliability and Seasonal Sensitivity of 84 Countermovement Jump Variables in Professional Basketball Players.

Mercer, RAJ, Russell, JL, McGuigan, LC, Coutts, AJ, Strack, DS, and McLean, BD. Finding the signal in the noise-interday reliability and seasonal sensitivity of 84 countermovement jump variables in professional basketball players. J Strength Cond Res 37(2): 394-402, 2023-This study examined the measurement characteristics of countermovement jump (CMJ) variables in basketball athletes using different variable selection criteria.