Niraparib as First-Line Maintenance Therapy in Patients with Stage III Ovarian Cancer and No Visible Residual Disease: AR1ZE Real-World Study.

Introduction: Niraparib was approved for first-line (1L) maintenance (1LM) treatment of patients with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) following the PRIMA/ENGOT-OV26/GOG-3012 (PRIMA) trial. PRIMA was restricted to patients at higher risk of progression (excluded stage III EOC with no visible residual disease [NVRD] after primary cytoreductive surgery [PCS]). This retrospective study evaluated the potential impact of excluding stage III EOC with NVRD from PRIMA by assessing real-world treatment outcomes following 1LM niraparib monotherapy in this patient population.

A comparison of time-varying propensity score vs sequential stratification approaches to longitudinal matching with a time-varying treatment.

Background: Methods for matching in longitudinal cohort studies, such as sequential stratification and time-varying propensity scores, facilitate causal inferences in the context of time-dependent treatments that are not randomized where patient eligibility or treatment status changes over time. The tradeoffs in available approaches have not been compared previously, so we compare two methods using simulations based on a retrospective cohort of patients eligible for weight loss surgery, some of whom received it.

Methods: This study compares matching completeness, bias, coverage, and precision among three approaches to longitudinal matching: (1) time-varying propensity scores (tvPS), (2) sequential stratification that matches exactly on all covariates used in tvPS (SS-Full) and (3) sequential stratification that exact matches on a subset of covariates (SS-Selected).

Targeting disparate spaces: new technology and old tools.

A growing number of inexpensive, publicly available, validated air quality monitors are currently generating granular and longitudinal data on air quality. The expansion of interconnected networks of these monitors providing open access to longitudinal data represents a valuable data source for health researchers, citizen scientists, and community members; however, the distribution of these data collection systems will determine the groups that will benefit from them. Expansion of these and other exposure measurement networks represents a unique opportunity to address persistent inequities across racial, ethnic, and class lines, if the distribution of these devices is equitable.

Twenty-five year occupational homicide mortality trends in North Carolina: 1992-2017.

Introduction: Determining industry of decedents and victim-perpetrator relationships is crucial to inform and evaluate occupational homicide prevention strategies. In this study, we examine occupational homicide rates in North Carolina (NC) by victim characteristics, industry and victim-perpetrator relationship from 1992 to 2017.

Methods: Occupational homicides were identified from records of the NC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner system and the NC death certificates.

Engaging Community in Prioritizing Outcomes to Improve Family Health in Evidence-Based Nurse Home Visiting: Using a Modified e-Delphi Method.

Background: Evidence-based home visiting programs are designed to improve maternal child health. Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) is a model evidence-based home visiting program, shown to improve pregnancy outcomes, child development, and economic self-sufficiency for first-time mothers and their families experiencing social and economic adversities, enrolling them early in pregnancy. Recently, NFP has expanded its services to multiparous women (previous live births) and enrolling women past 28 weeks gestation (late registrants) in selected agencies in Florida since 2021.

Trends in fatal occupational injury rates among older workers before and after the Great Recession of 2008.

Background: Older workers experience higher rates of fatal occupational injury than younger workers worldwide. In North Carolina, the population of older workers more than doubled between 2000 and 2017. In 2008, the Great Recession changed occupational patterns among all age groups.

Sex-Related Pain Behavioral Differences following Unilateral NGF Injections in a Rat Model of Low Back Pain.

Low back pain (LBP) is a globally prevalent and costly societal problem with multifactorial etiologies and incompletely understood pathophysiological mechanisms. To address such shortcomings regarding the role of neurotrophins in the underlying mechanisms of pain, an LBP model was developed in rats involving two unilateral intramuscular injections of nerve growth factor (NGF) into deep trunk muscles. To date, behavioral investigations of this NGF-LBP model have been limited, especially as it pertains to female pain behaviors.

Influence of critically appraising exemption requests from healthcare personnel along a spectrum of influenza vaccine hesitancy.

Objectives: This study was performed to assess whether an intervention for critically appraising influenza vaccine exemption requests from healthcare personnel (HCP) affected (1) the overall rate of influenza vaccine exemption within a healthcare institution and/or (2) the rates of postintervention vaccine acceptance among those who inconsistently request exemption from annual vaccination and those who consistently request exemption from vaccination.

Design: Retrospective, before-and-after intervention study.

Setting: We conducted the study at a single academic medical center.

Trends in fatal occupational injuries in Latino/a workers relative to other groups, North Carolina 2000-2017.

Background: Latino/a workers may experience higher fatal occupational injury rates than non-Latino/a workers. In North Carolina, the Latino/a population more than doubled between 2000 and 2017. We examined fatal occupational injuries among Latino/a and non-Latino/a workers in North Carolina over this period.

Family Stool Donation Predicts Failure of Fecal Microbiota Transplant for Infection.

Background And Aims: Fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) via colonoscopy is highly effective treatment for infection (CDI). We aimed to determine baseline patient characteristics that predict failure to respond to colonoscopy-based FMT.

Methods: We evaluated adult patients who received FMT for CDI not responding to standard therapies at a single tertiary center between 2014 and 2018 in this retrospective cohort study.

Alcohol, Cannabis and Crossfading: Concerns for COVID-19 Disease Severity.

Risk factors for severe COVID-19 pathology are currently being investigated worldwide. The emergence of this highly infectious respiratory disease has plagued the world, with varying severity across populations of different age, race, and socio-economic level. These data suggest that other environmental or social factors may contribute to this disease's severity.

APHA thin ewe investigation project.

This focus article has been prepared by Suzi Bell, Amanda Carson, Rachael Collins, Lizzy Dunnett, Rudolf Reichel and Moyna Richey of the APHA Small Ruminant Expert Group.

Automated Electronic Health Record-Based Tool for Identification of Patients With Metastatic Disease to Facilitate Clinical Trial Patient Ascertainment.

Purpose: To facilitate identification of clinical trial participation candidates, we developed a machine learning tool that automates the determination of a patient's metastatic status, on the basis of unstructured electronic health record (EHR) data.

Methods: This tool scans EHR documents, extracting text snippet features surrounding key words (such as metastatic, progression, and local). A regularized logistic regression model was trained and used to classify patients across five metastatic categories: highly likely and likely positive, highly likely and likely negative, and unknown.

Small-scale pig producers and disease surveillance: key threats.

A series of meetings for small-scale pig producers raised awareness of surveillance for pig diseases in Great Britain and highlighted different types of disease threat. This focus article summarises some key messages from those meetings and two of the threats discussed.

Visualizing learner engagement, performance, and trajectories to evaluate and optimize online course design.

Learning analytics and visualizations make it possible to examine and communicate learners' engagement, performance, and trajectories in online courses to evaluate and optimize course design for learners. This is particularly valuable for workforce training involving employees who need to acquire new knowledge in the most effective manner. This paper introduces a set of metrics and visualizations that aim to capture key dynamical aspects of learner engagement, performance, and course trajectories.

Early Extubation Without Increased Adverse Events in High-Risk Cardiac Surgical Patients.

Background: Previous reports of early extubation after cardiac surgical procedures vary in the definition of "early" and may limit findings to patients with less preoperative risk. This study sought to determine whether an eight-tier multidisciplinary early extubation protocol with the goal of extubating within 6 hours postoperatively would be successful without increasing adverse events in patients with increased preoperative risk.

Methods: Postoperative adult cardiac surgical patients in a tertiary care intensive care unit (n = 459) were analyzed 6 months before and 6 months after implementation of the protocol.

Implementation of an Early Extubation Protocol in Cardiac Surgical Patients Decreased Ventilator Time But Not Intensive Care Unit or Hospital Length of Stay.

Objective: The optimal timing of extubation following cardiac surgery is currently unknown. Protocols implemented in order to achieve a rapid extubation may achieve this goal, but not prove beneficial in terms of outcomes.

Design: A prospective clinical trial.

A Healthcare Improvement Intervention Combining Nucleic Acid Microarray Testing With Direct Physician Response for Management of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia.

Background: Nucleic acid microarray (NAM) testing for detection of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) and S. aureus resistance gene determinants can reduce time to targeted antibiotic administration. Evidence-based management of SAB includes bedside infectious diseases (ID) consultation.

Pilot study of a multidisciplinary gout patient education and monitoring program.

Objective: Gout patient self-management knowledge and adherence to treatment regimens are poor. Our objective was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a multidisciplinary team-based pilot program for the education and monitoring of gout patients.

Methods: Subjects completed a gout self-management knowledge exam, along with gout flare history and compliance questionnaires, at enrollment and at 6 and 12 months.

Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Counseling Program for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients.

Objective: To determine if a cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention counseling program for lupus patients decreases the prevalence of CVD risk factors.

Methods: The assessment phase of a 3-year CVD prevention counseling program included the evaluation of CVD risk factors, diet, exercise habits, and medications. The education phase included discussion of the above risk factors, as well as CVD and thrombosis prevention strategies.

Impact of prescription drug monitoring programs and pill mill laws on high-risk opioid prescribers: A comparative interrupted time series analysis.

Background: Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) and pill mill laws were implemented to reduce opioid-related injuries/deaths. We evaluated their effects on high-risk prescribers in Florida.

Methods: We used IMS Health's LRx Lifelink database between July 2010 and September 2012 to identify opioid-prescribing prescribers in Florida (intervention state, N: 38,465) and Georgia (control state, N: 18,566).