Flying Blind: How Thorough are IRBs when Assessing Scientific Value?

Background: Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) in the United States play a crucial role in ensuring the ethical conduct of clinical trials, including assessing the scientific merit of studies to justify the risks to participants. However, prior research suggests that many IRBs do not systematically evaluate scientific merit, raising concerns about the approval of low-quality trials.

Objective: To investigate whether IRBs provide adequate guidance on assessing scientific merit in their Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and other relevant materials.

A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study of Antibiotics for OnabotulinumtoxinA.

Importance: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the most common complication of intradetrusor onabotulinumtoxinA (BTX-A) injection. Despite this, there are no evidence-based guidelines on antibiotic prophylaxis.

Objectives: Our primary aim was to determine whether antibiotic prophylaxis decreased symptomatic, culture-proven UTI rates within 6 weeks of intradetrusor BTX-A injection.

Hospital Is Not the Home: Lessons From Implementing Remote Technology to Support Acute Inpatient and Transitional Care in the Home in the United States and United Kingdom.

The COVID-19 pandemic, patient preference, and economic opportunity are shifting acute care from the hospital to the home, supported by the transformation in remote monitoring technology. Monitoring patients with digital medical devices gives unprecedented insight into their physiology. However, this technology does not exist in a vacuum.

Activation of nemo-like kinase in diamond blackfan anemia suppresses early erythropoiesis by preventing mitochondrial biogenesis.

Diamond Blackfan Anemia (DBA) is a rare macrocytic red blood cell aplasia that usually presents within the first year of life. The vast majority of patients carry a mutation in one of approximately 20 genes that results in ribosomal insufficiency with the most significant clinical manifestations being anemia and a predisposition to cancers. Nemo-like Kinase (NLK) is hyperactivated in the erythroid progenitors of DBA patients and inhibition of this kinase improves erythropoiesis, but how NLK contributes to the pathogenesis of the disease is unknown.

Freshwater invertebrate responses to fine sediment stress: A multi-continent perspective.

Excessive fine sediment (particles <2 mm) deposition in freshwater systems is a pervasive stressor worldwide. However, understanding of ecological response to excess fine sediment in river systems at the global scale is limited. Here, we aim to address whether there is a consistent response to increasing levels of deposited fine sediment by freshwater invertebrates across multiple geographic regions (Australia, Brazil, New Zealand and the UK).

Optimizing Glycemic Outcomes for Children with Type 1 Diabetes.

Changes in physical growth, neurocognitive development, and pubertal maturation are some of the challenges to achieving blood glucose targets in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus. To optimize glycemic outcomes, a comprehensive approach is crucial to address psychosocial needs, expand the use of diabetes technology, and diminish health inequities.

Effect of type and concentration of antioxidant on sperm motility, viability, and DNA integrity of climbing perch Anabas testudineus Bloch, 1792 (Pisces: Anabantidae) post-cryopreservation.

Sperm quality is preserved through the crucial involvement of antioxidants, which play a vital role in minimizing the occurrence of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during the cryopreservation process. The suitability of the type and concentration of antioxidants are species-dependent, and this study is crucial in order to improve the quality of the climbing perch sperm post-cryopreservation. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the best type and concentration of antioxidants for cryopreservation of climbing perch Anabas testudineus sperm.

Institutional Barriers to the Successful Implementation of Telemedicine for Type 1 Diabetes Care.

The aim of this study was to describe rates of telemedicine use 18 months after the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and to assess the institutional barriers to its implementation for type 1 diabetes care across centers of the T1D Exchange Quality Improvement Collaborative. Observational electronic health record data capturing telemedicine rates from 15 U.S.

Time-of-day effects on speed and accuracy performance during simulated shiftwork.

Performance on tasks involving speed and accuracy fluctuate throughout the 24-h day negatively affecting shift workers and organizations. Two simulated work shifts common in occupational settings were used to assess performance on a vigilance and math task. In study 1, 33 sleep-deprived participants completed a nightshift.

Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma in a Pediatric Patient With β-Thalassemia.

β-Thalassemia is characterized by the abnormal synthesis of β-hemoglobin chains resulting in hemolytic anemia. Treatment involves frequent blood transfusions, which leads to deposition of iron in many organs, including endocrine glands. To date, several cases of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) in patients with β-thalassemia have been reported in the adult literature, but there have been none in pediatrics.

Motility, viability and fertility of goldfish Carassius auratus (Pisces: Cyprinidae) post short-term cryopreservation.

Backgrund: Goldfish Carassius auratus is a popular ornamental fish extensively cultured worldwide. Sperm cryopreservation is a common fish breeding method that ensures sperm availability around the year. Studies on cryopreservation of goldfish sperm, especially on the suitability of cryoprotectant types and pre-freezing time, are scarcely available.

Performance of a Chemical Heat Blanket in Dry, Damp, and Wet Conditions Inside a Mountain Rescue Hypothermia Wrap.

Introduction: Casualties with accidental hypothermia are evacuated using multilayer wraps, typically including a chemical heat blanket (CHB), a vapor barrier, and an insulating outer bag. We investigated CHB performance against dry, damp, and wet fabric, in a multilayer wrap, in response to a case report indicating diminished performance when wet.

Methods: We wrapped a torso manikin in a base layer, CHB, vapor barrier, casualty bag, and vacuum mattress, recording CHB panel temperatures at intervals of up to 7 h.

Healthcare provider experiences of deploying a continuous remote patient monitoring pilot program during the COVID-19 pandemic: a structured qualitative analysis.

Objective: To describe the healthcare provider (HCP) experience of launching a COVID-19 remote patient monitoring (CRPM) program during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We conducted qualitative, semi-structured interviews with eight HCPs involved in deploying the CRPM pilot program in the Military Health System (MHS) from June to December 2020. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed thematically using an inductive approach.

Modeling the social determinants of resilience in health professions students: impact on psychological adjustment.

Stressors inherent to training and stemming from the learning environment are associated with high rates of burnout, depression, and mental health problems in health professions students (HPS). There is evidence that disadvantaged or stigmatized groups are particularly affected. These problems not only impact students after graduation but may also have detrimental effects on patient outcomes.

Glacier retreat reorganizes river habitats leaving refugia for Alpine invertebrate biodiversity poorly protected.

Alpine river biodiversity around the world is under threat from glacier retreat driven by rapid warming, yet our ability to predict the future distributions of specialist cold-water species is currently limited. Here we link future glacier projections, hydrological routing methods and species distribution models to quantify the changing influence of glaciers on population distributions of 15 alpine river invertebrate species across the entire European Alps, from 2020 to 2100. Glacial influence on rivers is projected to decrease steadily, with river networks expanding into higher elevations at a rate of 1% per decade.

Remote patient monitoring to facilitate same-day discharge after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: a pilot evaluation.

Background: Limited hospital inpatient capacity, exacerbated by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and associated staffing shortages, has driven interest in converting surgeries historically done as inpatient procedures to same-day surgeries (SDS). Remote patient monitoring (RPM) has the potential to increase safety and confidence in SDS but has had mixed success in a bariatric population.

Objectives: Assess the feasibility of and adherence to a protocol offering patients same-day laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) supported by RPM with an updated wearable device.

SATB1 Chromatin Loops Regulate Megakaryocyte/Erythroid Progenitor Expansion by Facilitating HSP70 and GATA1 Induction.

Diamond Blackfan anemia (DBA) is an inherited bone marrow failure syndrome associated with severe anemia, congenital malformations, and an increased risk of developing cancer. The chromatin-binding special AT-rich sequence-binding protein-1 (SATB1) is downregulated in megakaryocyte/erythroid progenitors (MEPs) in patients and cell models of DBA, leading to a reduction in MEP expansion. Here we demonstrate that SATB1 expression is required for the upregulation of the critical erythroid factors heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and GATA1 which accompanies MEP differentiation.

Effect of type and concentration of cryoprotectant on the motility, viability, and fertility of climbing perch Anabas testudineus Bloch, 1792 (Pisces: Anabantidae) sperm.

The climbing perch, Anabas testudineus is a freshwater fish that has economic value in Indonesia. It is cultured in the country, but the breeding technology, specifically sperm storage, is not well developed. Sperm cryopreservation is one of the preservation methods that need to be developed to support fish breeding technology.

Baseline Quality Improvement Capacity of 33 Endocrinology Centers Participating in the T1D Exchange Quality Improvement Collaborative.

This article describes the evolution of the Type 1 Diabetes Exchange Quality Improvement Collaborative (T1DX-QI) and provides insight into the development and growth of a successful type 1 diabetes quality improvement (QI) program. Since its inception 8 years ago, the collaborative has expanded to include centers across the United States with varying levels of QI experience, while simultaneously achieving many tangible improvements in type 1 diabetes care. These successes underscore the importance of learning health systems, data-sharing, benchmarking, and peer collaboration as drivers for continuous QI.

Assessment of Remote Vital Sign Monitoring and Alarms in a Real-World Healthcare at Home Dataset.

The importance of vital sign monitoring to detect deterioration increases during healthcare at home. Continuous monitoring with wearables increases assessment frequency but may create information overload for clinicians. The goal of this work was to demonstrate the impact of vital sign observation frequency and alarm settings on alarms in a real-world dataset.

Financial and Clinical Impact of Virtual Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Difference-in-Differences Analysis.

Background: Virtual care (VC) and remote patient monitoring programs were deployed widely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Deployments were heterogeneous and evolved as the pandemic progressed, complicating subsequent attempts to quantify their impact. The unique arrangement of the US Military Health System (MHS) enabled direct comparison between facilities that did and did not implement a standardized VC program.

Animal models of Diamond-Blackfan anemia: updates and challenges.

Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) is a ribosomopathy that is characterized by macrocytic anemia, congenital malformations, and early onset during childhood. Genetic studies have demonstrated that most patients carry mutations in one of the 20 related genes, most of which encode ribosomal proteins (RP). Treatment of DBA includes corticosteroid therapy, chronic red blood cell transfusion, and other forms of immunosuppression.