National survey of financial burden and experience among patients with cancer and autoimmune disease receiving charitable copay assistance.

Background: Little is known about the role that charitable copay assistance (CPA) plays in addressing access to care and financial distress. The study sought to evaluate financial distress and experience with CPA among patients with cancer and autoimmune disease.

Methods: This is a national cross-sectional self-administered anonymous electronic survey conducted among recipients of CPA to cover the costs of a drug for cancer or autoimmune disease.

Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorder Stigma: Mapping Pathways Between Structures and Individuals to Accelerate Research and Intervention.

Researchers, interventionists, and clinicians are increasingly recognizing the importance of structural stigma in elevating the risk of mental illnesses (MIs) and substance use disorders (SUDs) and in undermining MI/SUD treatment and recovery. Yet, the pathways through which structural stigma influences MI/SUD-related outcomes remain unclear. In this review, we aim to address this gap by summarizing scholarship on structural MI/SUD stigma and identifying pathways whereby structural stigma affects MI/SUD-related outcomes.

Use of Maternal-Fetal Medicine Subspecialist Services by Commercially Insured Pregnant People.

Importance: Improving access to high-quality maternity care and reducing maternal morbidity and mortality are major policy priorities in the US. Previous research has primarily focused on access to general obstetric care rather than access to high-risk pregnancy care provided by maternal-fetal medicine subspecialists (MFMs).

Objective: To measure access to MFM services and determine patient factors associated with MFM service use, including MFM telemedicine.

Incidence and Prevalence of Post-COVID-19 Myalgic Encephalomyelitis: A Report from the Observational RECOVER-Adult Study.

Background: Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) may occur after infection. How often people develop ME/CFS after SARS-CoV-2 infection is unknown.

Objective: To determine the incidence and prevalence of post-COVID-19 ME/CFS among adults enrolled in the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER-Adult) study.

One is not like the other: health quality of life scores vary in neuromuscular EOS by diagnosis.

Purpose: The etiology of early-onset scoliosis (EOS) has been shown to significantly influence baseline parent-reported health-related quality of life (HrQOL). In combining these etiology groups, we obligatorily lump together many disparate diagnoses, particularly true in the neuromuscular (NM) cohort. We sought to evaluate the influence of underlying neuromuscular diagnosis on the HrQOL at 5 years following surgery for EOS.

A Phase 2b, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravenous prasinezumab in early-stage Parkinson's disease (PADOVA): Rationale, design, and baseline data.

Introduction: Prasinezumab was shown to potentially delay motor progression in individuals with early-stage Parkinson's disease (PD) who were either treatment-naïve or on monoamine oxidase type B inhibitor (MAO-Bi) therapy in the PASADENA study. We report the rationale, design, and baseline patient characteristics of the PADOVA study, designed to evaluate prasinezumab in an early-stage PD population receiving standard-of-care (SOC) symptomatic medications.

Methods: PADOVA (NCT04777331) is a Phase 2b, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study, in which individuals with early-stage PD on SOC stable symptomatic monotherapy (levodopa or MAO-Bi) receive intravenous prasinezumab 1500 mg every 4 weeks.

Physical and neurophysiological maturation associated with ADHD among previously institutionalized children: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental outcome among children with a history of early institutional care. Prior research on institutionalized children suggested that accelerated physical growth in childhood is a risk factor for ADHD outcomes.

Methods: The current study examined physical and neurophysiological growth trajectories among institutionalized children randomized to foster care treatment (n = 59) or care as usual (n = 54), and never institutionalized children (n = 64) enrolled in the Bucharest Early Intervention Project (NCT00747396, clinicaltrials.

IRE1α-XBP1 safeguards hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells by restricting pro-leukemogenic gene programs.

Hematopoietic stem cells must mitigate myriad stressors throughout their lifetime to ensure normal blood cell generation. Here, we uncover unfolded protein response stress sensor inositol-requiring enzyme-1α (IRE1α) signaling in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) as a safeguard against myeloid leukemogenesis. Activated in part by an NADPH oxidase-2 mechanism, IRE1α-induced X-box binding protein-1 (XBP1) mediated repression of pro-leukemogenic programs exemplified by the Wnt-β-catenin pathway.

Montreal cognitive assessment as a cognitive outcome measure in progressive supranuclear palsy.

Background: The Montreal Cognitive assessment (MoCA) is a well-validated global cognitive screening instrument. Its validity in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) has not been assessed.

Objectives: To evaluate the MoCA as an outcome measure in PSP clinical trials.

Engaging dystonia networks with subthalamic stimulation.

Deep brain stimulation is an efficacious treatment for dystonia. While the internal pallidum serves as the primary target, recently, stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) has been investigated. However, optimal targeting within this structure and its surroundings have not been studied in depth.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Retention and Disengagement After Initiation on Antiretroviral Therapy in Low- and Middle-Income Countries After the Introduction of Universal Test and Treat Policies.

Background: We previously published a systematic review evaluating retention in care after antiretroviral therapy treatment initiation among adults in low- and middle-income countries. We estimated retention at 36 months to be at 74% for studies published from 2008-2013. This review evaluates retention after the implementation of Universal Test and Treat in 2015.

Promoting Physical Activity in People With Parkinson's Disease Through a Smartphone App: A Pilot Study.

Background And Purpose: Physical activity has beneficial symptomatic effects for people with Parkinson's disease (PD), but increasing-and sustaining-a physically active lifestyle remains challenging. We investigated the feasibility (ability to increase step counts) and usability of a behavioral intervention using a motivational smartphone application to remotely increase physical activity in PD.

Methods: We performed a 4-week, double-blind pilot trial.

Genetic Associations Among Inflammation, White Matter Architecture, and Extracellular Free Water.

Phenotypic and genetic relationships between white matter microstructure (i.e., fractional anisotropy [FA]) and peripheral inflammatory responses (i.

Disentangling Sources of Momentum Fluctuations in Xe+Xe and Pb+Pb Collisions with the ATLAS Detector.

High-energy nuclear collisions create a quark-gluon plasma, whose initial condition and subsequent expansion vary from event to event, impacting the distribution of the eventwise average transverse momentum [P([p_{T}])]. Disentangling the contributions from fluctuations in the nuclear overlap size (geometrical component) and other sources at a fixed size (intrinsic component) remains a challenge. This problem is addressed by measuring the mean, variance, and skewness of P([p_{T}]) in ^{208}Pb+^{208}Pb and ^{129}Xe+^{129}Xe collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.

Prostatic E. coli infection drives CCR2-dependent recruitment of fibrocytes and collagen production.

Prostate fibrosis contributes to lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD). To develop targeted treatments for prostate fibrosis, it is necessary to identify cell types and molecular pathways required for collagen production. We used a genetic approach to label and track potential collagen-producing cell lineages in mouse prostate through a round of Escherichia coli (E.

Polygenic score distribution differences across European ancestry populations: implications for breast cancer risk prediction.

Background: The 313-variant polygenic risk score (PRS) provides a promising tool for clinical breast cancer risk prediction. However, evaluation of the PRS across different European populations which could influence risk estimation has not been performed.

Methods: We explored the distribution of PRS across European populations using genotype data from 94,072 females without breast cancer diagnosis, of European-ancestry from 21 countries participating in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC) and 223,316 females without breast cancer diagnosis from the UK Biobank.

A multicenter evaluation of penile curvature correction in men with Peyronie's disease undergoing inflatable penile prosthesis placement.

Background: Inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) insertion is recommended for the treatment of patients with Peyronie's disease (PD) and significant erectile dysfunction (ED); adjunctive procedures can be used for residual curvature after IPP placement.

Aim: To assess the management of penile curvature correction in PD patients undergoing IPP procedures within a large multinational, multicenter cohort.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on PD patients treated with IPP by 11 experienced prosthetic surgeons.

Time to Therapy May Not Impact Diagnosis Upstaging in Patients Referred for Management of Luminal Gastrointestinal Neoplasia.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacted endoscopy practice. Recommendations were to postpone elective cases, including procedures for removal of luminal neoplasia. This provided a natural experiment to evaluate outcomes related to these decisions and the impact of time to procedure on change in histology.

Changes in Risk Tolerance for Ovarian Cancer Prevention Strategies during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results of a Discrete Choice Experiment.

Background: Prior to COVID-19, little was known about how risks associated with such a pandemic would compete with and influence patient decision making regarding cancer risk reducing medical decision making. We investigated how the pandemic affected preferences for medical risk-reducing strategies among women at elevated risk of breast or ovarian cancer.

Methods: We conducted a discrete choice experiment.

Impact of dopamine deficiency and REM sleep behavior disorder on cognition in early neuronal synuclein disease with hyposmia.

Objectives: To determine the impact of dopamine deficiency and isolated REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) on cognitive performance in early neuronal alpha-synuclein disease (NSD) with hyposmia.

Methods: Using Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative baseline data, cognitive performance was assessed with a cognitive summary score (CSS) developed by applying regression-based internal norms derived from a robust healthy control (HC) group. Performance was examined for participants with hyposmia classified as NSD-Integrated Staging System (NSD-ISS) Stage 2, either Stage 2A (CSF alpha-synuclein seed amplification assay [SAA]+, SPECT dopamine transporter scan [DaTscan]-) or 2B (SAA+, DaTscan+).

RNA sensing induced by chromosome missegregation augments anti-tumor immunity.

Viral mimicry driven by endogenous double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) stimulates innate and adaptive immune responses. However, the mechanisms that regulate dsRNA-forming transcripts during cancer therapy remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that dsRNA is significantly accumulated in cancer cells following pharmacologic induction of micronuclei, stimulating mitochondrial antiviral signaling (MAVS)-mediated dsRNA sensing in conjunction with the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)/stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway.

Prevalence and progression of chronic kidney disease among adults undergoing creatinine testing in South African public healthcare facilities: a study leveraging data from South Africa's National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS).

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has emerged as a substantial global health challenge, with a marked rise in associated mortality. However, it often goes undetected until advanced stages, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries such as South Africa. We investigated the prevalence and progression of CKD in South Africa, utilising a subset of data from the National Health Laboratory Services Multi-morbidity Cohort.

A Meta-Analysis of Levofloxacin for Contacts of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis.

Background: Data from randomized trials evaluating the effectiveness of tuberculosis (TB) preventive treatment for contacts of multidrug-resistant (MDR)-TB are lacking. Two recently published randomized trials that did not achieve statistical significance provide the opportunity for a meta-analysis.

Methods: We conducted combined analyses of two phase 3 trials of levofloxacin MDR-TB preventive treatment - Levofloxacin for the Prevention of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis (VQUIN) trial and the Levofloxacin preventive treatment in children exposed to MDR-TB (TB-CHAMP) trial.