Suppression of Colon Tumorigenesis in Mutant Mice by a Novel PDE10 Inhibitor that Reduces Oncogenic β-Catenin.

Previous studies have reported that phosphodiesterase 10A (PDE10) is overexpressed in colon epithelium during early stages of colon tumorigenesis and essential for colon cancer cell growth. Here we describe a novel non-COX inhibitory derivative of the anti-inflammatory drug, sulindac, with selective PDE10 inhibitory activity, ADT 061. ADT 061 potently inhibited the growth of colon cancer cells expressing high levels of PDE10, but not normal colonocytes that do not express PDE10.

Composer-Visual Cohort Analysis of Patient Outcomes.

Objective: Visual cohort analysis utilizing electronic health record data has become an important tool in clinical assessment of patient outcomes. In this article, we introduce Composer, a visual analysis tool for orthopedic surgeons to compare changes in physical functions of a patient cohort following various spinal procedures. The goal of our project is to help researchers analyze outcomes of procedures and facilitate informed decision-making about treatment options between patient and clinician.

Physical function computer adaptive test outcomes in diabetic lumbar spine surgical patients.

Background Context: Diabetes is a highly prevalent comorbid condition among patients undergoing spine surgery. Several studies have used legacy patient-reported outcome measures to implicate diabetes as a predictor of increased disability, pain, and decreased physical function and quality of life following spine surgery. The effect of diabetes on postoperative physical function has not yet been studied using the PROMIS Physical Function Computer Adaptive Test (PF CAT).

Oswestry Disability Index: a psychometric analysis with 1,610 patients.

Background: One-fourth of the adult US population has or will experience back pain and has undergone one of a myriad of treatments. Understanding the outcomes of these many treatments from pharmacologic to surgical, from manipulation to modality, allows for a better understanding and value-driven decision making. Patient-reported outcome measures are the current standard and include general and disease-specific measures.

Predicting the DRAM mZDI using the PROMIS anxiety and depression.

Study Design: Data were collected at a university orthopedic clinic in 2012. The final sample consisted of 316 patients. Sample included new and annual follow-up adult patients for all operative and nonoperative spine care.

Challenging the norm: further psychometric investigation of the neck disability index.

Background Context: The neck disability index (NDI) was the first patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument specific to patients with neck pain, and it remains one of the most widely used PROs for the neck population. The NDI is an appealing measure as it is a short and well-known PRO measure. Currently, there are conflicting data on the performance and applicability of the NDI in patients undergoing either operative or nonoperative treatment for neck-related conditions.

Scoliosis research society-22 results in 3052 healthy adolescents aged 10 to 19 years.

Study Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Objective: The purpose of our study was to evaluate a large population of adolescents from a broad mix of racial/ethnic backgrounds and age groups to better establish baseline normative values for the Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22).

Summary Of Background Data: The SRS-22 instrument was developed to assess treatment outcomes in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Clinical predictors of psychological distress in patients presenting for evaluation of a spinal disorder.

Background Context: Psychological distress has been shown to adversely affect the treatment outcomes of many spinal disorders. Most physicians do not routinely use psychological screening questionnaires. Additionally, physicians have not performed well when assessing patients for psychological distress while using clinical impression alone.

Psychometric properties of the PROMIS physical function item bank in patients with spinal disorders.

Study Design: Patient-reported outcomes provide vital information when assessing effectiveness of clinical care. Yet, most patient-reported outcome instruments are limited by lack of validation and reliability to measure PF adequately. As part of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS), a PF item bank consisting of 124 items has been developed.

Studies of caffeine and theophylline in the neonate.

About 50% of 327 umbilical cord sera from infants born at the Medical Center Hospital of Vermont contained 1.0 microgram/ml or more of caffeine; about 25% contained equivalent concentrations of theophylline. Cord concentrations of caffeine greater than 3.

Transcutaneous oxygen monitoring in aminophylline-treated apneic infants.

Transcutaneous PO2 (tcPO2) monitoring offers a new approach to the evaluation of drug effects. We investigated the effect of theophylline on ten premature infants with apnea. Theophylline was administered as aminophylline, 8 mg/kg per rectum every 12 hours for two doses and 4 mg/kg every 12 hours for a total of two or five days (short and long courses).

Toxicity and tissue distribution of aminophyline in neonatal and adult mice and rats.

The LD50 of aminophylline in adult mice differed from young mice and rats of both ages, in which the values were remarkably similar (Table 1). With the exception of fat, which had lower concentrations in all groups, tissue concentrations after a 4 mg/kg rectal dose of aminophylline in the 10-day-old animals ranged from 10-20 microng/g as compared to 4-10 microng/g in the adults (Table 2). To evaluate preferential distribution, an analysis of tissue to blood concentration ratios was made.

Development of a radioimmunoassay for theophylline. Application to studies in premature infants.

The use of theophylline in premature infants has necessitated the development of an assay applicable to samples under 0.1 ml. To accomplish this we have developed a radioimmunoassay for theophylline.