Restorative Neurostimulation Therapy Compared to Optimal Medical Management: A Randomized Evaluation (RESTORE) for the Treatment of Chronic Mechanical Low Back Pain due to Multifidus Dysfunction.

Introduction: Many interventional strategies are commonly used to treat chronic low back pain (CLBP), though few are specifically intended to target the distinct underlying pathomechanisms causing low back pain. Restorative neurostimulation has been suggested as a specific treatment for mechanical CLBP resulting from multifidus dysfunction. In this randomized controlled trial, we report outcomes from a cohort of patients with CLBP associated with multifidus dysfunction treated with restorative neurostimulation compared to those randomized to a control group receiving optimal medical management (OMM) over 1 year.

HIV Prevention in Syringe Service Programs Since the Start of COVID-19: Where Do We Go From Here?

Purpose: This narrative review addresses post-2020, specific, complex challenges for use of and adherence to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention among out-of-treatment people who use drugs (PWUD) at syringe services programs (SSPs).

Recent Findings: The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated changes to the provision of healthcare have significantly impacted HIV prevention, especially for PWUD. Through a synthesis of literature and clinical experience, we (1) characterize the operational changes imposed by the pandemic on SSPs that shaped the current HIV prevention landscape; (2) describe three levels of current challenges for PWUD, including consumer attitudes, non-medical and medical provider attitudes, and structural and scalability barriers; (3) characterize current models for PrEP in SSPs; and (4) offer practical recommendations for HIV prevention in harm reduction programs.

Outcomes of mechanical thrombectomy for medium vessel occlusion in acute ischemic stroke patients with ASPECTS 4-5 vs. 6-7: a retrospective, multicenter, and multinational study.

Introduction: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) efficacy in medium vessel occlusion (MeVO) stroke, particularly in patients with low Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS), remains less explored.

Methods: This retrospective study analyzed data from 443 AIS patients treated with MT for MeVO and low ASPECTS (4-7) at 37 centers across North America, Asia, and Europe, from September 2017 to July 2021. Patients were categorized into ASPECTS of 4-5 and 6-7.

Twenty Years of Neuroinformatics: A Bibliometric Analysis.

This study presents a thorough bibliometric analysis of Neuroinformatics over the past 20 years, offering insights into the journal's evolution at the intersection of neuroscience and computational science. Using advanced tools such as VOS viewer and methodologies like co-citation analysis, bibliographic coupling, and keyword co-occurrence, we examine trends in publication, citation patterns, and the journal's influence. Our analysis reveals enduring research themes like neuroimaging, data sharing, machine learning, and functional connectivity, which form the core of Neuroinformatics.

Evaluation of predictions of disordered binding regions in the CAID2 experiment.

A large portion of the Intrinsically Disordered Regions (IDRs) in protein sequences interact with proteins, nucleic acids, and other types of ligands. Correspondingly, dozens of sequence-based predictors of binding IDRs were developed. A recently completed second community-based Critical Assessments of protein Intrinsic Disorder prediction (CAID2) evaluated 32 predictors of binding IDRs.

Long-Term Impact of Pregnancy on Clinical Outcomes in Individuals With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.

Background: The effect of pregnancy on individuals with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is not well investigated.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of pregnancy on all-cause mortality and clinical outcomes among individuals with HCM.

Methods: Using the TriNetX research network, we identified individuals within reproductive age (≥18-45 years) with a diagnosis of HCM between 2012 and 2022 (n = 10,936).

Exploring trauma surgeons' views on trauma care in Nigeria: A qualitative study.

Background: In Nigeria, trauma care faces challenges due to high injury and death rates from road traffic accidents and violence. Improvements are underway, but gaps in service availability, training, and coordination persist, necessitating evidence-based interventions.

Purpose: To evaluate trauma care practices in Nigeria, focusing on practitioners' perceptions of training, resources, and care quality to inform policy and practice enhancements.

Pivotal Trial Toward Effectiveness of Self-administered OCT in Neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration. Report 2-Artificial Intelligence Analytics.

Purpose: To validate the performance of the Notal OCT Analyzer (NOA) in processing self-administered OCT images from an OCT system designed for home use (home OCT [HOCT]) as part of a pivotal study aimed at achieving de novo United States Food and Drug Admininstration marketing authorization.

Design: A prospective quantitative cross-sectional artificial intelligence study.

Participants: The study enrolled adults aged ≥55 years diagnosed with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) in ≥1 eligible eye with a best-corrected visual acuity of 20/320 or better.

Feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a physical activity intervention in adults with lymphoma undergoing treatment.

Background: To determine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a 6-month tailored non-linear progressive physical activity intervention (PAI) for lymphoma patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Methods: Patients newly diagnosed with lymphoma (non-Hodgkin (NHL) or Hodgkin (HL)) were randomized into the PAI or healthy living intervention (HLI) control (2:1). Feasibility was assessed by examining accrual, adherence, and retention rates.

TRPV4 modulates inflammatory responses and apoptosis in enteric glial cells triggered by Clostridioides difficile toxins A and B.

Clostridioides difficile, a spore-forming anaerobic bacterium, is the primary cause of hospital antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Key virulence factors, toxins A (TcdA) and B (TcdB), significantly contribute to C. difficile infection (CDI).

Trauma Patient Transitional Work: A Multidisciplinary Feasibility Survey of Planned Behavior Elements.

Background: Patient transitions in critical care require coordination across provider roles and rely on the quality of providers' actions to ensure safety. Studying the behavior of providers who transition patients in critical care may guide future interventions that ultimately improve patient safety in this setting.

Objective: To establish the feasibility of using the Theory of Planned Behavior in a trauma environment and to describe provider behavior elements during trauma patient transfers (de-escalations) to non-critical care units.

Reaccreditation and Pathways Recognition Experiences of Small Local and Tribal Health Departments.

Context: This paper describes experiences and views of leadership teams from 4 small local health departments (LHDs) seeking Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) reaccreditation or Pathways Recognition using PHAB Standards & Measures Version 2022. The Pathways program launched in 2022 provides additional supports for improvement of public health practice.

Objective: Given the need to accelerate accreditation among small health departments, the purpose of this study is to share small health departments' strategies for overcoming accreditation challenges and actionable advice for use by other health departments.

Public Health Accreditation Board Accreditation and Pathways Recognition Among Small Health Departments: Motivation, Communication, and Celebration.

This paper explores how small local health departments (LHDs) motivated staff members, communicated progress toward Public Health Accreditation Board accreditation or Pathways Recognition, and celebrated interim and final accreditation accomplishments. Qualitative key informant interviews were conducted with 22 employees and affiliates of 4 LHDs with jurisdiction populations <50 000. LHDs motivated staff through ownership, creative strategies to monitor and record progress, and meaningful no- or low-cost incentives.

The mosquito evolves two types of prophenoloxidases with diversified functions.

Insect phenoloxidase, presented as an inactive precursor prophenoloxidase (PPO) in hemolymph, catalyzes melanin formation, which is involved in wound healing, pathogen killing, reversible oxygen collection during insect respiration, and cuticle and eggshell formation. Mosquitoes possess 9 to 16 PPO members across different genera, a number that is more than that found in other dipteran insects. However, the reasons for the redundancy of these PPOs and whether they have distinct biochemical properties and physiological functions remain unclear.

Formulation of Quality Improvement Methodology for Risk Mitigation in Congenital Cardiac Catheterization.

The C3PO collaborative, with a history of successful quality improvement (QI) initiatives, leveraged registry participants to develop a multi-center QI initiative to reduce adverse events (AEs) in congenital cardiac catheterization. A 32-person, interdisciplinary working group analyzed audited data for all congenital cardiac catheterization cases from 2014-2017. The primary outcome was the occurrence of any high-severity (level 3/4/5) AE.

RNA splicing variants of the novel long non-coding RNA, CyKILR, possess divergent biological functions in non-small cell lung cancer.

The CDKN2A gene, responsible for encoding the tumor suppressors p16(INK4A) and p14(ARF), is frequently inactivated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Herein, an uncharacterized long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) (ENSG00000267053) on chromosome 19p13.12 was found to be overexpressed in NSCLC cells with an active, wild-type CDKN2A gene.

Phase 1b/2a safety study of lemborexant as an adjunctive treatment for insomnia to buprenorphine-naloxone for opioid use disorder: A randomized controlled trial.

Background: Evidence supports the common incidence of sleep disturbance in opioid use disorder (OUD) as a potential marker of disrupted orexin system functioning. This study evaluated the initial safety and tolerability of a challenge dose of lemborexant, a dual orexin antagonist, as an adjunct to buprenorphine/naloxone.

Methods: Patients (18-65 years old) with OUD receiving sublingual buprenorphine/naloxone, with a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index total score of 6 or higher, were recruited from outpatient clinics.

Virseqimprover: an integrated pipeline for viral contig error correction, extension, and annotation.

Despite the recent surge of viral metagenomic studies, it remains a significant challenge to recover complete virus genomes from metagenomic data. The majority of viral contigs generated from de novo assembly programs are highly fragmented, presenting significant challenges to downstream analysis and inference. To address this issue, we have developed Virseqimprover, a computational pipeline that can extend assembled contigs to complete or nearly complete genomes while maintaining extension quality.

Early initiation of ceftaroline-based combination therapy for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.

Purpose: Monotherapy with vancomycin or daptomycin remains guideline-based care for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (MRSA-B) despite concerns regarding efficacy. Limited data support potential benefit of combination therapy with ceftaroline as initial therapy. We present an assessment of outcomes of patients initiated on early combination therapy for MRSA-B.