Industry Payments and Branded Glatiramer Acetate Prescribing in the US Medicare Program.

Background And Objectives: Generic formulations of glatiramer acetate have been available since 2015 yet remain underprescribed relative to the branded product. We sought to characterize the association between branded glatiramer prescribing in the Medicare program and financial payments from the manufacturer (Teva Pharmaceuticals).

Methods: Using publicly available Medicare Part D and Open Payments data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, we evaluated overall utilization from 2012 to 2021 and compared the prevalence, frequency, and magnitude of financial payments made in 2019 to neurologists who prescribed branded and generic versions of glatiramer in 2020.

Feasibility and acceptability for LION, a fully remote, randomized clinical trial within the VA for light therapy to improve sleep in Veterans with and without TBI: An MTBI2 sponsored protocol.

Sleep-wake disturbances frequently present in Veterans with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). These TBI-related sleep impairments confer significant burden and commonly exacerbate other functional impairments. Therapies to improve sleep following mTBI are limited and studies in Veterans are even more scarce.

Diabetes Mellitus Is Not a Risk Factor for Difficult Intubation Among Critically Ill Adults: A Secondary Analysis of Multicenter Trials.

Objectives: Diabetes mellitus has been associated with greater difficulty of tracheal intubation in the operating room. This relationship has not been examined for tracheal intubation of critically ill adults. We examined whether diabetes mellitus was independently associated with the time from induction of anesthesia to intubation of the trachea among critically ill adults.

MRI of the Rectum: A Decade into DISTANCE, Moving to DISTANCED.

Over the past decade, advancements in rectal cancer research have reshaped treatment paradigms. Historically, treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer has focused on neoadjuvant long-course chemoradiotherapy, followed by total mesorectal excision. Interest in organ preservation strategies has been strengthened by the introduction of total neoadjuvant therapy with improved rates of complete clinical response.

Targeting the CD74 signaling axis suppresses inflammation and rescues defective hematopoiesis in -familial platelet disorder.

Familial platelet disorder (FPD) is associated with germline mutations, establishing a preleukemic state and increasing the risk of developing leukemia. Currently, there are no intervention strategies to prevent leukemia progression. Single-cell RNA sequencing ( = 10) combined with functional analysis of samples from patients with -FPD ( > 75) revealed that FPD hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) displayed increased myeloid differentiation and suppressed megakaryopoiesis because of increased activation of prosurvival and inflammatory pathways.

Promotes Antioxidant Gene Expression and Mitochondrial Oxidative Respiration in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis.

(L.) Urban (family Apiaceae) () is a traditional botanical medicine used in aging and dementia. Water extracts of (CAW) have been used to treat neuropsychiatric symptoms in related animal models and are associated with increases in antioxidant response element (ARE) genes and improvements in mitochondrial respiratory function and neuronal health.

Temporal Tissue Remodeling in Volumetric Muscle Injury with Endothelial Cell-Laden Patterned Nanofibrillar Constructs.

A primary challenge following severe musculoskeletal trauma is incomplete muscle regeneration. Current therapies often fail to heal damaged muscle due to dysregulated healing programs and insufficient revascularization early in the repair process. There is a limited understanding of the temporal changes that occur during the early stages of muscle remodeling in response to engineered therapies.

Phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate synthetase 1 () associated retinal degeneration: an international study.

Introduction: Phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate synthetase 1 () is an X-linked gene critical for nucleotide metabolism. Pathogenic variants cause three overlapping phenotypes: Arts syndrome (severe neurological disease), Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 5 [CMTX5] (peripheral neuropathy), and non-syndromic sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Each may be associated with retinal dystrophy.

Validation and accuracy of the Hyfe cough monitoring system: a multicenter clinical study.

Background: The ability to passively and continuously monitor coughing for prolonged periods of time would significantly improve cough management and research. To date there is no automated clinically validated cough monitor that can be routinely used in clinical care and research. Here we describe the validation of such an automated cough monitor.

Correlation of the Sinonasal Outcome Test-22 With the University of Washington Quality of Life in Assessing Quality of Life in Sinonasal Malignancy Utilizing a Multicenter Prospective Observational Cohort Registry.

In this multi-center sinonasal malignancies (SNM) cohort, the Sino-nasal Outcome Test has a correlation with the University of Washington Quality of Life (UWQOL) for assessing QOL. The use of both instruments remains recommended to provide complete and complementary information. Future design of an easy-to-use tool specific to SNM is needed to encompass all aspects of QOL.

Impact of sinus surgery on nasal discharge in chronic rhinosinusitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Nasal discharge is one of the cardinal symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis, impacting over 50% of patients. For patients with symptoms refractory to standard medical therapy, endoscopic sinus surgery is an option. The objective of this study is to characterize how nasal discharge improves after surgery in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.

Slab-Specific Projection-Resolved Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography for Enhancing En Face Polyp Detection in Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy.

Purpose: A projection-resolved optical coherence tomography angiography (PR-OCTA) algorithm with slab-specific strategy was applied in polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) to differentiate between polyp and branching vascular network (BVN) and improve polyp detection by en face OCTA.

Methods: Twenty-nine participants diagnosed with PCV by indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) and 30 participants diagnosed with typical neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) were enrolled. Polyps were classified into three categories after using the slab-specific PR algorithm.

The inability to predict futility in hemorrhaging trauma patients using 4-hour transfusion volumes and rates.

Background: Blood shortages and utilization stewardship have motivated the trauma community to evaluate futility cutoffs during massive transfusions (MTs). Recent single-center studies have confirmed meaningful survival in ultra-MT (≥20 U) and super-MT (≥50 U), while others advocate for earlier futility cut points. We sought to evaluate whether transfusion volume and intensity cut points could predict 100% mortality in a multicenter analysis.

Flow-Through Flaps as a Robust Method for Advanced Free Flap Reconstruction in the Head and Neck: A Multi-Institutional Experience.

Background: Flow-through flaps (FTFs) are an advanced technique in which a free flap is anastomosed to the pedicle of another free flap to reconstruct extensive head and neck defects when recipient vessels are scarce.

Methods: A multi-institutional cohort of FTFs used for head and neck reconstruction were reviewed. For comparison, FTF outcomes were compared to free flaps that required vein grafts (VG) to reach distant recipient vessels.

Multidimensional relationships between sensory perception and cognitive aging.

A growing literature suggests that declines in sensory/perceptual systems predate cognitive declines in aging, and furthermore, they are highly predictive for developing Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's related dementias (ADRD). While vision, hearing, olfaction, and vestibular function have each been shown to be related to ADRD, their causal relations to cognitive declines, how they interact with each other remains to be clarified. Currently, there is substantial debate whether sensory/perceptual systems that fail early in disease progression are causal in their contributions to cognitive load and/or social isolation or are simply coincident declines due to aging.

The doctor will polygraph you now.

Artificial intelligence (AI) methods have been proposed for the prediction of social behaviors that could be reasonably understood from patient-reported information. This raises novel ethical concerns about respect, privacy, and control over patient data. Ethical concerns surrounding clinical AI systems for social behavior verification can be divided into two main categories: (1) the potential for inaccuracies/biases within such systems, and (2) the impact on trust in patient-provider relationships with the introduction of automated AI systems for "fact-checking", particularly in cases where the data/models may contradict the patient.

Axial Spondyloarthritis Clinical Research Year in Review: SPARTAN 2024 Annual Meeting Proceedings.

Purpose Of Review: The purpose of this review is to highlight high impact clinical research in axial spondyloarthritis that was published between May 2023 and April 2024. These publications were presented at the SPARTAN annual meeting in May 2024.

Recent Findings: Three publications addressed the rate and predictors of radiographic progression in axial spondyloarthritis.

Enhanced myocardial perfusion in late gestation fetal lambs with impaired left ventricular inflow.

Robust preclinical models of asymmetric ventricular loading in late gestation reflecting conditions such as hypoplastic left heart syndrome are lacking. We characterized the morphometry and microvascular function of the hypoplastic left ventricle (LV) and remaining right ventricle (RV) in a sham-controlled late gestation fetal lamb model of impaired left ventricular inflow (ILVI). Singleton fetuses were instrumented at ∼120 days gestational age (dGA; term is ∼147 days) with vascular catheters, an aortic flow probe and a deflated left atrial balloon.

Proteomic changes upon treatment with semaglutide in individuals with obesity.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are prevalent chronic diseases effectively managed by semaglutide. Here we studied the effects of semaglutide on the circulating proteome using baseline and end-of-treatment serum samples from two phase 3 trials in participants with overweight or obesity, with or without diabetes: STEP 1 (n = 1,311) and STEP 2 (n = 645). We identified evidence supporting broad effects of semaglutide, implicating processes related to body weight regulation, glycemic control, lipid metabolism and inflammatory pathways.

Governance Considerations for Point-of-Care Ultrasound: a HIMSS-SIIM Enterprise Imaging Community Whitepaper in Collaboration with AIUM.

Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has emerged as a standard of care across a variety of healthcare settings due to its ability to provide critical clinical information and as well as procedural guidance to clinicians directly at the bedside. Implementation of enterprise imaging (EI) strategies is needed such that POCUS images can be appropriately captured, indexed, managed, stored, distributed, viewed, and analyzed. Because of its unique workflow and educational requirements, reliance on traditional order-based workflow solutions may be insufficient.

Whole personhood in medical education: Visual thinking strategy, close reading, and creative practice with a diversity and equity lens.

Purpose: To create and implement a Whole Personhood in Medical Education curriculum including Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS), close reading, and creative practice that features creative works by BIPOC, persons with disability, and/or LGBTQ + individuals that aligns with educational competencies.

Materials And Methods: Curriculum design by an interdisciplinary team made up of physician educators, medical sociologist, digital collection librarian, and art museum educators. Prospective single arm intervention study at a single site academic teaching hospital.

Multi-modal comparison of molecular programs driving nurse cell death and clearance in Drosophila melanogaster oogenesis.

The death and clearance of nurse cells is a consequential milestone in Drosophila melanogaster oogenesis. In preparation for oviposition, the germline-derived nurse cells bequeath to the developing oocyte all their cytoplasmic contents and undergo programmed cell death. The death of the nurse cells is controlled non-autonomously and is precipitated by epithelial follicle cells of somatic origin acquiring a squamous morphology and acidifying the nurse cells externally.

Nerve Fiber Layer Schisis in Coats Disease.

Purpose: To describe two cases of pediatric patients with Coats disease who developed nerve fiber layer (NFL) schisis.

Methods: Observational case series.

Results: Two male pediatric patients, ages 2 and 14, who were being treated for Coats disease were found to have NFL schisis on optical coherence tomography.