Fluid Dynamic and in Vitro Blood Study to Understand Catheter-Related Thrombosis.

Purpose: Central venous catheters (CVCs) provide a direct route to the venous circulation but are prone to catheter-related thrombosis (CRT). A known CRT risk factor is a high catheter-to-vein ratio (CVR), or a large catheter diameter with respect to the indwelling vein size. In this study, the CVR's effect on CVC hemodynamics and its impact on CRT is investigated with in vitro and in silico experiments.

Sensitivity and Specificity of Chimerism Tests in Predicting Leukemia Relapse Using Increasing Mixed Chimerism.

Chimerism test was evaluated to predict leukemia relapse. Increasing mixed chimerism (IMC), defined as recipient increase ≥0.1% in peripheral blood total cell chimerism, was used as a surrogate of disease activity.

Safety and Efficacy of Tiny (≤3 mm) Unruptured Middle Cerebral Artery Aneurysm Treatment: An Analysis of the NeuroVascular Quality Initiative-Quality Outcomes Database Cerebral Aneurysm Registry.

Background And Objectives: Improved imaging modalities have led to an increased detection of intracranial aneurysms, many of which are small. There is uncertainty in the appropriate management of tiny aneurysms. The objective of this study was to use a large, multi-institutional NeuroVascular Quality Initiative-Quality Outcomes Database (NVQI-QOD) to assess the frequency, safety, and efficacy of treatment of tiny, unruptured middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms.

Testing Interventions for Mobility through Exercise (TIME): Study protocol for a randomized trial comparing a novel, brief home-based exercise program and a standard home-based group exercise for older adults with mobility disability.

One in four older adults report difficulty walking, greatly increasing the risk of future disability and death. Though exercise improves mobility, too few older adults do it. While studies show that brief exercise sessions provide most of the benefit of longer sessions and that older adults note that "time" is a critical barrier to being active, what remains unknown is whether briefer RT sessions can improve mobility as well as, or better than, longer traditional sessions, possibly due to greater adherence.

Predicting serious postoperative complications and evaluating racial fairness in machine learning algorithms for metabolic and bariatric surgery.

Background: Predicting the risk of complications is critical in metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS).

Objectives: To develop machine learning (ML) models to predict serious postoperative complications of MBS and evaluate racial fairness of the models.

Setting: Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) national database, United States.

Self-Management among Stroke Survivors in the United States, 2016 to 2021.

: Self-management among stroke survivors is effective in mitigating the risk of a recurrent stroke. This study aims to determine the prevalence of self-management and its associated factors among stroke survivors in the United States. : We analyzed the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data from 2016 to 2021, a nationally representative health survey.

Early postoperative water exposure does not increase complications in cutaneous surgeries: A randomized, investigator-blinded, controlled trial.

Background: Patients are often advised to keep the initial postoperative dressings dry and undisturbed for 24 to 72 hours. However, these requirements may result in significant disruption of patients' activities of daily living, such as bathing, leisure, and exercise.

Objective: Compare standard management of keeping wounds dry and covered (48 hours) with early (6 hours) postoperative water exposure.

A Comparative Review of Standardized Incidence Ratios of De Novo Malignancies Post Liver Transplantation in Males Versus Females.

Unlabelled: After liver transplantation (LTx), the most common cause of death in the long-term is de-novo malignancy (DNM). The aim is to review the gender differences in the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of DNM within the same geographical locations.

Methods: Four studies were identified comparing post-LTx SIR between males and females.

Impact of hyponatremia in preeclamptic patients with severe features.

Hyponatremia, though common in women with preeclampsia, has not been well studied. Our primary objectives are to assess the clinical characteristics and emergency therapy applied to subjects diagnosed with preeclampsia. We hypothesize that hyponatremia present in preeclamptic patients with severe features is associated with greater use of emergency hypertensives, antenatal steroids, and cesarean delivery.

Outcomes of critically ill children with pre-existing mental health conditions.

Importance: Critically ill children with pre-existing mental health conditions may have an increased risk of poor health outcomes.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate if pre-existing mental health conditions in critically ill pediatric patients would be associated with worse clinical outcomes, compared to children with no documented mental health conditions.

Methods: This retrospective observational cohort study utilized the TriNetX electronic health record database of critically ill subjects aged 12-18 years.

Bayesian Learning of Personalized Longitudinal Biomarker Trajectory.

This work concerns the effective personalized prediction of longitudinal biomarker trajectory, motivated by a study of cancer targeted therapy for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Continuous monitoring with a confirmed biomarker of residual disease is a key component of CML management for early prediction of disease relapse. However, the longitudinal biomarker measurements have highly heterogeneous trajectories between subjects (patients) with various shapes and patterns.

Associations of pre-diagnosis physical activity with treatment tolerance and treatment efficacy in breast cancer patients with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Purpose: Higher pre-diagnosis physical activity (PA) is associated with lower all-cause mortality in breast cancer (BCa) patients. However, the association with pathological complete response (pCR) is unclear. We investigated the association between pre-diagnosis PA level and chemotherapy completion, dose delay, and pCR in BCa patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT).

Opioid Overdose Hospitalizations During COVID-19: The Experience of Pennsylvania.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic placed extreme burden on hospitals, while opioid overdose is another challenging public health issue. This study aimed to examine the trends and outcomes of opioid overdose hospitalizations in Pennsylvania during 2018 to 2021.

Design: We identified opioid overdose hospitalizations in the state of Pennsylvania using the state-wide hospital discharge database (PHC4) 2018 to 2021.

Predicting operative time for metabolic and bariatric surgery using machine learning models: a retrospective observational study.

Background: Predicting operative time is essential for scheduling surgery and managing the operating room. This study aimed to develop machine learning (ML) models to predict the operative time for metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) and to compare each model.

Methods: The authors used the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program database between 2016 and 2020 to develop ML models, including linear regression, random forest, support vector machine, gradient-boosted tree, and XGBoost model.

Cost Effectiveness of Zanubrutinib Versus Ibrutinib in Relapsed or Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

Background: While the efficacy and safety of zanubrutinib have been established in relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia, the evidence on cost effectiveness is still lacking.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the cost effectiveness of zanubrutinib versus ibrutinib in relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia from the commercial payer perspective in the USA.

Methods: A partitioned survival model was developed based on survival curves from the phase III ALPINE trial.

Safety and efficacy of endovascular versus microsurgical treatment of unruptured wide-necked middle cerebral artery aneurysms: a propensity score-matched analysis of the NeuroVascular Quality Initiative Quality Outcomes Database Cerebral Aneurysm Registry.

Objective: Unruptured, wide-necked middle cerebral artery (WN-MCA) aneurysms have traditionally been considered ideal candidates for microsurgery (MS), although endovascular treatment (EVT) has dramatically increased in popularity with the advent of novel devices such as intrasaccular flow disruptors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of MS versus EVT for unruptured WN-MCA aneurysms.

Methods: The NeuroVascular Quality Initiative Quality Outcomes Database (NVQI-QOD) Cerebral Aneurysm Registry, a multiinstitutional, prospectively collected procedural database, was queried for cases of unruptured WN-MCA aneurysms treated with MS or EVT between 2015 and 2022.

REAP-2: An interactive quantitative tool for robust and efficient dose-response curve estimation.

REAP-2 is an interactive dose-response curve estimation tool for Robust and Efficient Assessment of drug Potency. It provides user-friendly dose-response curve estimation for studies and conducts statistical testing for model comparisons with a redesigned user interface. We also make a major update of the underlying estimation method with penalized beta regression, which demonstrates great reliability and accuracy in dose estimation and uncertainty quantification.

A retrospective analysis of complications associated with postpartum hemorrhage up to 1 year postpartum in mothers with and without a pre-existing mental health diagnosis.

Background/objectives: There is limited research on the associated immediate and long-term outcomes of postpartum hemorrhage. Mothers with a pre-existing psychiatric disease prior to delivery may be especially vulnerable to postpartum hemorrhage outcomes but little is known on this topic. Barriers to studying this population exist and add to knowledge gaps.

Opioid and Non-Opioid Pharmacotherapy Use for Pain Management Among Privately Insured Pediatric Patients With Cancer in the United States.

Background: This study examined the trends and patterns of opioid and non-opioid pharmacotherapy use among a large national sample of privately insured pediatric patients with cancer in the United States.

Materials And Methods: We identified pediatric (aged < 21) patients diagnosed with central nervous system (CNS), lymphoma, gonadal, leukemia, or bone cancer from MarketScan data 2005-2019. We examined the proportion of patients who filled a prescription for the following 5 types of pharmacotherapy: opioid, anticonvulsant, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), antidepressant, and muscle relaxant during active cancer treatment.

Associations Between Leisure-Time Physical Activity Level and Peripheral Immune Cell Populations in the US General Population, Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Data, 1999-2018.

Background: Chronic levels of inflammation are associated with higher risk of many chronic diseases. Physical activity (PA) lowers the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and others. One mechanism for PA-induced protection may be through the immune system.

Chronic Cannabigerol as an Effective Therapeutic for Cisplatin-Induced Neuropathic Pain.

Cannabigerol (CBG), derived from the cannabis plant, acts as an acute analgesic in a model of cisplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in mice. There are no curative, long-lasting treatments for CIPN available to humans. We investigated the ability of chronic CBG to alleviate mechanical hypersensitivity due to CIPN in mice by measuring responses to 7 and 14 days of daily CBG.