Development of a psychometrically valid and reliable measure of primary care providers' willingness to engage with value based payments and innovations in care coordination.

Background: Most approaches to healthcare reform envision an enhanced role for primary care providers, supported by innovative payment methodology and improved resources. However, there are currently no instruments to measure providers' ability and willingness to work with existing tools provided by payers, such as Accountable Care Organizations (ACO). In this study, we develop and psychometrically test a new instrument to measure provider engagement with ACOs.

Increased risk of adverse events following the treatment of associated versus elementary acetabular fractures: a matched analysis of short-term complications.

Purpose: This retrospective cohort study aims to compare short-term complication rates between patients receiving open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) for associated versus elementary acetabular fractures, with a secondary objective of identifying independent risk factors for adverse outcomes.

Methods: The American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database was queried using current procedural terminology (CPT) codes to identify patients that underwent ORIF for associated acetabular (CPT 27228) or elementary acetabular fractures (CPT 27226, 27227) from 2010 to 2021. Propensity score matching was employed to account for baseline differences and the short-term complication rates were compared between the cohorts.

Needs beyond coverage: Health care inequities among children with disabilities of parents with disabilities.

Background: Family aggregation of disability is not uncommon. Research on children with disabilities has often overlooked a specific group facing health disparities: children with disabilities of parents with disabilities.

Objective: To determine whether children with disabilities, whose parents also have disabilities, experience limited access to health care.

Identifying 10-year cumulative incidence and risk of revision following total hip arthroplasty in patients with and without a diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus.

Introduction: Prior studies have shown human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may be a risk factor for early revision following THA, but little data exists looking at long-term implant survivorship. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the 10-year cumulative incidence rate for revision following THA in patients with and without HIV.

Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis of patients with HIV undergoing elective THA was conducted using a national database.

Posttraumatic stress disorder and its cross-generational familial relationship with drug use disorder and alcohol use disorder: an extended Swedish adoption study.

Information on how parental risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) relates to their children's risk for drug use disorder (DUD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) is limited. This study is the first to utilize an extended adoption design which can address questions about the degree of, and sources of, cross-generational and cross-disorder transmission of PTSD and substance use disorders. We examined diagnoses using Swedish National registries for parents and their adult offspring ( = 2,194,171, born 1960-1992) from six types of families (intact (1), not lived with biological father (2) or mother (3), step father (4), step mother (5), and adoptive (6)).

Modulation of stress-, pain-, and alcohol-related behaviors by perineuronal nets.

Perineuronal nets (PNNs) are a special form of central nervous system extracellular matrix enriched in hyaluronan, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans, tenascins, and link proteins that regulate synaptic plasticity. Most PNNs in the brain surround parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory interneurons, which tightly regulate excitatory/inhibitory balance and brain activity associated with optimal cognitive functioning. Alterations in PNNs have been observed in neurological diseases and psychiatric disorders, suggesting that they may be key contributors to the neuropathological progression and behavioral changes in these diseases.

Quantitative Liver Fat Assessment by Handheld Point-of-Care Ultrasound: A Technical Implementation and Pilot Study in Adults.

Objectives: To implement, examine the feasibility of, and evaluate the performance of quantitative ultrasound (QUS) with a handheld point-of-care US (POCUS) device for assessing liver fat in adults.

Materials And Methods: This prospective IRB-approved, HIPAA-compliant pilot study enrolled adults with overweight or obesity. Participants underwent chemical-shift-encoded magnetic resonance imaging to estimate proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and, within 1 mo, QUS with a POCUS device by expert sonographers and novice operators (no prior US scanning experience).

Outcomes of ingested superabsorbent polymers ("water beads"): A poison center study.

Background: Superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) are hydrophilic polymers that expand many-fold from their original size after contact with water. Ingestions of "water beads" by young children have been reported to cause bowel obstruction however, the incidence of bowel obstructions is unknown.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study analyzing ingestions reported to our regional poison center from January 1, 2002 to April 25, 2023.

Sample Size Requirements for Popular Classification Algorithms in Tabular Clinical Data: Empirical Study.

Background: The performance of a classification algorithm eventually reaches a point of diminishing returns, where the additional sample added does not improve the results. Thus, there is a need to determine an optimal sample size that maximizes performance while accounting for computational burden or budgetary concerns.

Objective: This study aimed to determine optimal sample sizes and the relationships between sample size and dataset-level characteristics over a variety of binary classification algorithms.

Coronary vasomotor response incidence to intracoronary acetylcholine provocation test according to the severity of insignificant coronary artery stenosis in Korean population.

Background: Coronary artery spasm (CAS) is a cause of variant angina. However, the understanding of CAS patterns in the presence of mild-to-moderate coronary artery stenosis is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence and patterns of CAS in patients with insignificant coronary artery stenosis using intracoronary acetylcholine (ACH) provocation test.

Solid-state synthesis of SiGe nanoalloys with composition-tunable energy gaps and visible to near infrared optical properties.

SiGe alloy nanocrystals (NCs) are a class of benign semiconductors that show size and composition-tunable energy gaps and promising optical properties because of the lattice disorder. The random distribution of elements within the alloys can lead to efficient light-matter interactions, making them attractive for Si-compatible optoelectronic devices, transistors, charge storage, and memory applications. However, the fabrication of discrete, quantum-confined alloys has proved a challenging task.

A case of lead migration after sacral neuromodulation with erosion into the rectum.

We present a case of a 73-year-old female with medication refractory overactive bladder treated with the InterStim® sacral neuromodulation device. Five months post implantation she developed drainage over the lead site and rectal bleeding. Evaluation identified lead migration with rectal perforation requiring surgical removal of the battery and lead.

The Professional Identity of STEM Faculty as Instructors of Course-based Research Experiences.

The professional identity of scientists has historically been cultivated to value research over teaching, which can undermine initiatives that aim to reform science education. Course-Based Research Experiences (CRE) and the inclusive Research and Education Communities (iREC) are two successful and impactful reform efforts that integrate research and teaching. The aim of this study is to explicate the professional identity of instructors who implement a CRE within an established iREC and to explore how this identity contributes to the success of these programs.

Automated Food Weight and Content Estimation Using Computer Vision and AI Algorithms.

The work aims to leverage computer vision and artificial intelligence technologies to quantify key components in food distribution services. Specifically, it focuses on dish counting, content identification, and portion size estimation in a dining hall setting. An RGB camera is employed to capture the tray delivery process in a self-service restaurant, providing test images for plate counting and content identification algorithm comparison, using standard evaluation metrics.

Neurogenic Aging After Spinal Cord Injury: Highlighting the Unique Characteristics of Aging After Spinal Cord Injury.

Emanating from several decades of study into the effects of the aging process after spinal cord injury (SCI), "accelerated aging" has become a common expression as the SCI accelerates the onset of age-related pathologies. However, the aging process follows a distinct trajectory, characterized by unique patterns of decline that differ from those observed in the general population without SCI. Aging brings significant changes to muscles, bones, and hormones, impacting overall physical function.

Marital Stability During the Year After Traumatic Brain Injury in an Ecuadorian Sample: A Repeated-Measures Study.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of death and disability worldwide and often leads to long-lasting emotional, physical, and cognitive changes and results in reduced functioning across multiple domains. These changes often lead to strain in marital relationships as the uninjured spouse grapples with adapting to the changes in their partner. The purpose of this study was to examine the probability of marital stability after TBI at 6 and 12 months following injury (i.

Neutrophil Elastase Targets Select Proteins on Human Blood-Monocyte-Derived Macrophage Cell Surfaces.

Neutrophil elastase (NE) has been reported to be a pro-inflammatory stimulus for macrophages. The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of NE exposure on the human macrophage proteome and evaluate its impact on pro-inflammatory signals. Human blood monocytes from healthy volunteers were differentiated to macrophages and then exposed to either 500 nM of NE or control vehicle for 2 h in triplicate.

How Do School Salad Bars Impact Elementary School Students' Dietary Quality and Energy Intake at Lunch? A Randomized Controlled Plate Waste Investigation.

Children's dietary quality is suboptimal, increasing the risk of numerous chronic illnesses. Salad bars (SBs) have potential to enhance children's nutritional intake within the National School Lunch Program (NSLP); yet, empirical support is lacking. To address this gap, we evaluated the impact of school salad bars on dietary quality and energy intake at lunch.

Resistance to Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC): Clinical Implications and Potential Strategies to Overcome the Resistance.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and the development of effective treatment strategies remains a significant challenge in the management of advanced HCC patients. The emergence of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) has been a significant advancement in the treatment of HCC, as these targeted therapies have shown promise in prolonging the survival of patients with advanced disease. Although immunotherapy is currently considered as the first line of treatment for advanced HCC patients, many such patients do not meet the clinical criteria to be eligible for immunotherapy, and in many parts of the world there is still lack of accessibility to immunotherapy.

From Doubt to Confidence-Overcoming Fraudulent Submissions by Bots and Other Takers of a Web-Based Survey.

In 2019, we launched a web-based longitudinal survey of adults who frequently use e-cigarettes, called the Vaping and Patterns of E-cigarette Use Research (VAPER) Study. The initial attempt to collect survey data failed due to fraudulent survey submissions, likely submitted by survey bots and other survey takers. This paper chronicles the journey from that setback to the successful completion of 5 waves of data collection.