Treatment patterns and healthcare resource utilization in ruxolitinib-treated patients with myelofibrosis with and without anemia: a real-world analysis.

Anemia affects many patients with myelofibrosis and is associated with poor prognosis. The Janus kinase inhibitor ruxolitinib is often used in myelofibrosis but may cause or worsen anemia. Using healthcare claims data from the IQVIA PharMetrics Plus database, this retrospective analysis evaluated healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), healthcare costs, and treatment patterns in ruxolitinib-treated patients with myelofibrosis stratified by anemia diagnosis prior to ruxolitinib initiation.

Management of Anomalous Left Vertebral Artery During Open Total Arch Replacement.

Background: An anomalous left vertebral artery (aLVA) can complicate aortic arch surgery. We examined the safety of various aLVA revascularization strategies during open total arch replacement.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 92 patients undergoing total arch replacement from January 2018 to May 2023 and identified 11 patients with aLVA.

A mini review of leveraging biobanking in the identification of novel biomarkers in neurological disorders: insights from a rapid single-cell sequencing pipeline.

Recent successes in the identification of biomarkers and therapeutic targets for diagnosing and managing neurological diseases underscore the critical need for cutting-edge biobanks in the conduct of high-caliber translational neuroscience research. Biobanks dedicated to neurological disorders are particularly timely, given the increasing prevalence of neurological disability among the rising aging population. Translational research focusing on disorders of the central nervous system (CNS) poses distinct challenges due to the limited accessibility of CNS tissue pre-mortem.

Transfusion-Related Cost and Time Burden Offsets in Patients with Myelofibrosis Treated with Momelotinib in the SIMPLIFY-1 and SIMPLIFY-2 Trials.

Red blood cell transfusions for anemia impose high financial and healthcare resource utilization burdens on patients with myelofibrosis (MF). This study estimates projected differences in medical costs and transfusion-related cost and time burdens with momelotinib vs. ruxolitinib or best available therapy (BAT) in Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor-naive and -experienced patients.

Detection, Isolation and Quantification of Myocardial Infarct with Four Different Histological Staining Techniques.

Precise quantification of myocardial infarction is crucial for evaluating the therapeutic strategies. We developed a robust, color-based semi-automatic algorithm capable of infarct region detection, isolation and quantification with four different histological staining techniques, and the isolation and quantification of diffuse fibrosis in the heart. Our method is developed based on the color difference in the infarct and non-infarct regions after histological staining.

The Emerging and Important Role of Artificial Intelligence in Cardiac Surgery.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has greatly affected our everyday lives and holds great promise to change the landscape of medicine. AI is particularly positioned to improve care for the increasingly complex patients undergoing cardiac surgery using the immense amount of data generated in the course of their care. When deployed, AI can be used to analyze this information at the patient's bedside more expediently and accurately, all while providing new insights.

Cytokine polarized, alternatively activated bone marrow neutrophils drive axon regeneration.

The adult central nervous system (CNS) possesses a limited capacity for self-repair. Severed CNS axons typically fail to regrow. There is an unmet need for treatments designed to enhance neuronal viability, facilitate axon regeneration and ultimately restore lost neurological functions to individuals affected by traumatic CNS injury, multiple sclerosis, stroke and other neurological disorders.

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and Readmission in Acute Type A Aortic Dissection Repair.

Introduction: We examined the association of socioeconomic status as defined by median household income quartile (MHIQ) with mortality and readmission patterns following open repair of acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) in a nationally representative registry.

Methods: Adults who underwent open repair of ATAAD were selected using the US Nationwide Readmissions Database and stratified by MHIQ. Patients were selected based on diagnostic and procedural codes.

Age-Stratified Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement for Aortic Stenosis.

Background: The management of aortic stenosis has evolved to stratification by age as reflected in recent societal guidelines. We evaluated age-stratified surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) trends and outcomes in patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) or tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons Adult Cardiac Surgery Database.

Methods: This cohort included adults (≥18 years) undergoing SAVR for severe aortic stenosis between July 2011 and December 2022.

When the economy falters, hearts suffer: Economic recessions as a social determinant of health in cardiovascular emergencies.

Introduction: While the relationships between cardiovascular disease (CVD), stress, and financial strain are well studied, the association between recessionary periods and macroeconomic conditions on incidence of disease-specific CVD emergency department (ED) visits is not well established.

Objectives: This retrospective observational study aimed to assess the relationship between macroeconomic trends and CVD ED visits.

Methods: This study uses data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Care Survey (NHAMCS), Federal Reserve Economic Database (FRED), National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), and CVD groupings from National Vital Statistics (NVS) and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) from 1999 to 2020 to analyze ED visits in relation to macroeconomic indicators and NBER defined recessions and expansions.

CD62L expression marks a functionally distinct subset of memory B cells.

The memory B cell response consists of phenotypically distinct subsets that differ in their ability to respond upon antigen re-encounter. However, the pathways regulating the development and function of memory B cell subsets are poorly understood. Here, we show that CD62L and CD44 are progressively expressed on mouse memory B cells and identify transcriptionally and functionally distinct memory B cell subsets.

Cytokine polarized, alternatively activated bone marrow neutrophils drive axon regeneration.

The adult central nervous system (CNS) possesses a limited capacity for self-repair. Severed CNS axons typically fail to regrow. There is an unmet need for treatments designed to enhance neuronal viability, facilitate axon regeneration, and ultimately restore lost neurological functions to individuals affected by traumatic CNS injury, multiple sclerosis, stroke, and other neurological disorders.

NK cell expansion requires HuR and mediates control of solid tumors and long-term virus infection.

Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes capable of controlling tumors and virus infections through direct lysis and cytokine production. While both T and NK cells expand and accumulate in affected tissues, the role of NK cell expansion in tumor and viral control is not well understood. Here, we show that posttranscriptional regulation by the RNA-binding protein HuR is essential for NK cell expansion without negatively affecting effector functions.

Conformational changes during in vitro balloon fracture of internal aortic annuloplasty ring.

Objective: HAART 300 300 (BioStable Science and Engineering, Inc) aortic annuloplasty rings restore physiologic annular geometry during aortic valve repair. Transcatheter valve-in-ring implantation is appealing for recurrent valve dysfunction but may necessitate balloon fracture of downsized annuloplasty rings. We characterized the feasibility of ring fracture and changes in ring geometry preceding fracture.

A Patient with Acute Necrotizing Fasciitis after a Total Knee Replacement: A Case Report.

Necrotizing fasciitis is a relatively rare and serious fatal soft-tissue infection that is characterized by a rapidly spreading bacterial infection located in the subcutaneous tissues. We report a 59-year-old man who was diagnosed with acute necrotizing fasciitis, following a primary total knee replacement. He received primary total knee replacement that was uneventful and smooth intraoperatively.

Automatic segmentation and measurement of pressure injuries using deep learning models and a LiDAR camera.

Pressure injuries are a common problem resulting in poor prognosis, long-term hospitalization, and increased medical costs in an aging society. This study developed a method to do automatic segmentation and area measurement of pressure injuries using deep learning models and a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) camera. We selected the finest photos of patients with pressure injuries, 528 in total, at National Taiwan University Hospital from 2016 to 2020.

Utility of Falciform Ligament in Abdominal Surgery: A Systematic Review.

Objective: The aim of the present systematic review was to assess current trends in use of falciform ligament in abdominal surgery.

Background: The falciform ligament has been proposed in surgical literature as a suitable pedicle or flap with acceptable surgical outcomes; however, it is underutilized in abdominal surgery.

Methods: We performed a literature search and meta-analysis.

ENERGI-F703 gel, as a new topical treatment for diabetic foot and leg ulcers: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, phase II trial.

Background: Diabetic foot and leg ulcers are a major cause of disability among patients with diabetes mellitus. A topical gel called ENERGI-F703, applied twice daily and with adenine as its active pharmaceutical ingredient, accelerated wound healing in diabetic mice. The current study evaluated the safety and efficacy of ENERGI-F703 for patients with diabetic foot and leg ulcers.

A pressure ulcers assessment system for diagnosis and decision making using convolutional neural networks.

Background/purpose: Pressure ulcers are a common problem in hospital care and long-term care. Pressure ulcers are caused by prolonged compression of soft tissues, which can cause local tissue damage and even lead to serious infections. This study uses a deep learning algorithm to construct a system that diagnoses pressure ulcers and assists in making treatment decisions, thus providing additional reference for first-line caregivers.

That's No Moon, It's a Giant Left Ventricular Aneurysm: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Although the most common causes of left ventricular aneurysm (LVA) is ischemic disease, other infectious, traumatic, genetic and iatrogenic etiologies exist. With the improvement of medical therapy for ischemic disease and earlier interventions such as PCI, the incidence of large LVA (>3cm) and surgical treatment for it is increasingly rare.  Case study: We describe a case report and literature review of a giant LVA in a patient, who presented with unclear etiology.

Astroblastomas exhibit radial glia stem cell lineages and differential expression of imprinted and X-inactivation escape genes.

Astroblastomas (ABs) are rare brain tumors of unknown origin. We performed an integrative genetic and epigenetic analysis of AB-like tumors. Here, we show that tumors traceable to neural stem/progenitor cells (radial glia) that emerge during early to later brain development occur in children and young adults, respectively.