Trends in anti-seizure medication spending by Medicare Part D and Medicaid from 2012 to 2022.

Objectives: The rising cost of anti-seizure medications (ASMs) in the United States (US) is a major concern for patients, healthcare providers, insurance payors, and policymakers. We aim to describe and analyze the spending trends on ASMs in the Medicare Part D (MPD) and Medicaid population in the US.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on the databases of MPD and Medicaid Spending by Drug from 2012 to 2022, which was published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Epidemiology of bacterial biofilms on polyps and normal tissues in a screening colonoscopy cohort.

Background: Invasive bacterial biofilms are implicated in colorectal cancer. However, their prevalence on histologically normal tissues and polyps is not well established, and risk factors of biofilms have not been previously investigated. Here we evaluated potential procedural and demographic risk factors associated with biofilm status using a cross-sectional observational cohort.

From community to scale: Using community engagement to develop and validate a patient-informed cancer communication scale.

Objective: Racial disparities in clinical communication quality are well-established but most clinical communication assessment tools are created without the collaboration of racially-diverse patient populations. Our objective was to collaborate with Black and White cancer survivors, caregivers, and advocates to develop and validate a tool to assess physicians' patient-centered communication.

Methods: A panel of Black and White cancer survivors, caregivers, and advocates (n = 11) and researchers observed and discussed video-recorded patient-physician cancer clinical interactions to generate and refine a list of physician communication behaviors considered critical for high-quality patient-centered communication.

The effects of balance training on cognitive function in persons with multiple sclerosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: There is growing literature examining the effects of balance training on cognitive function in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), yet the findings remain inconsistent. This study aimed to investigate methodological characteristics of balance training studies and examine the effects of this modality on cognitive function.

Methods: This study performed literature search using MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, SPORTSDiscus, and CINAHL databases from inception to April 2024.

Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma With Cardiac Metastases.

A 60-year-old man with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue had atypical chest pain and mild troponin elevation. No significant electrocardiogram changes or arrhythmias were noted. Cardiac magnetic resonance revealed several myocardial metastases with pericardial involvement, confirmed by positron emission tomography/computed tomography.

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status and Cardiovascular Events in Adults With CKD: The CRIC Study.

Rationale & Objective: In the general population, neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) has been found to be associated with cardiovascular risk, but this relationship has not been well studied among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This study seeked to evaluate the association between neighborhood SES and cardiovascular outcomes in a CKD cohort.

Study Design: Multicenter prospective cohort.

Extra-adrenal Pheochromocytoma of the Urinary Bladder in an Adolescent Female Patient.

Pheochromocytoma is a catecholamine-secreting tumor that arises from the medullary chromaffin cells but can rarely be extra-adrenal in origin. We present a case of a 16-year-old female patient with uncontrolled hypertension, despite being on lisinopril and metoprolol, and associated left-sided chest pain, recurrent headaches, and an unintentional weight loss of 10 pounds in one month. Laboratory work-up showed a markedly elevated plasma metanephrine level of 4463.

An Evaluation of the Impact of Genetic Counseling on Adherence to the 2011 American Academy of Pediatrics Health Supervision Guidelines for Children With Down Syndrome.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) health supervision guidelines for children with Down syndrome are important for preventative and symptom-based care. Studies, however, have shown low overall adherence to these care recommendations due to a lack of provider familiarity, inaccessibility of a medical home, and caregiver burden. In a population of children with Down syndrome, using a retrospective chart review, we evaluated overall patient adherence to the medical components of the 2011 AAP guidelines, along with potential influencing factors, to determine if there was a difference in adherence between those who had genetic counseling and those who had not.

Posterior epidural migration of thoracic and lumbar disc material: a comprehensive 63-year systematic review with anatomical perspectives.

This study aims to thoroughly investigate the clinical presentation, duration of symptoms, radiological aspects of posterior epidural migration of disc fragments (PEMDF), and assess various treatment options and their impacts on patient functionality. A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. We conducted a comprehensive search in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus from inception to March 2024.

Challenges in Geographic Access to Specialized Pediatric Burn Care in the United States.

Background: Geographical access to pediatric burn centers in the US is not well described. Patients may receive care at American Burn Association (ABA)-verified burn centers, unverified burn centers, or non-burn centers. A recent study indicated that most US counties do not have an ABA-verified pediatric burn center within 100 miles.

Latent motor growth trajectories of term and preterm infants based on caregiver report.

Early motor development is a key predictor of development in other skill domains and specific neurodevelopmental disorders, but it is typically measured as achievement of milestones rather than rate of development. To explore the value of the latter approach, this study utilized a novel caregiver report method to examine differences in the developmental trajectory of motor development in term-born compared to preterm-born infants. Caregiver-infant dyads (331 term, 240 preterm) were followed from birth through 12 months (48% female; 6.

Group differences in biographical inventories: A meta-analysis on the adverse impact potential of biodata.

The purpose of the present meta-analysis was to determine if biodata scale scores differ based on demographic group membership (i.e., gender, race, age) and to evaluate the contextual factors that amplify or mitigate these effects (e.

Predictors of Service Awareness: Results from a Community Survey in an Urban Area.

We examined information seeking strategies and predictors of service awareness from a 2019 survey of Detroit area adults. Participants were age 60+ (mean age = 72.10; SD = 8.

Safety and Efficacy of Toripalimab in Patients with Cholangiocarcinoma: An Open-Label, Phase 1 Study.

Introduction: This was the first phase 1 study conducted in the United States. It consisted of dose-escalation (part A) and multiple indication-specific cohort expansion (part B), investigating the safety and preliminary efficacy of toripalimab (anti-programmed cell death-1 inhibitor) in patients with advanced malignancies.

Methods: Patients with advanced malignancies that progressed after treatment with at least one prior line of standard systemic therapy, including the patients with advanced/recurrent cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), received toripalimab 240 mg every 3 weeks in part B.

Comparing Patency of Pulmonary Stent Implantation and Balloon Angioplasty in Pulmonary Vein Stenosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS) is an insidious diagnosis associated with morbidity and mortality. Pharmacologic therapy may suffice initially, but advanced stages demand mechanical intervention. Pulmonary stent implantation (PSI) and pulmonary balloon angioplasty (PBA) are common strategies, both carrying restenosis risks.

Lipid droplet targeting of the lipase co-activator ABHD5 and the fatty liver disease-causing variant PNPLA3 I148M is required to promote liver steatosis.

The storage and release of triacylglycerol (TAG) in lipid droplets (LDs) is regulated by dynamic protein interactions. α/β hydrolase domain-containing protein 5 (ABHD5; also known as CGI-58) is a membrane/LD bound protein that functions as a co-activator of Patatin Like Phospholipase Domain Containing 2 (PNPLA2; also known as Adipose triglyceride lipase, ATGL) the rate-limiting enzyme for TAG hydrolysis. The dysregulation of TAG hydrolysis is involved in various metabolic diseases such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

Functional characterization of eQTLs and asthma risk loci with scATAC-seq across immune cell types and contexts.

cis-regulatory elements (CREs) control gene transcription dynamics across cell types and in response to the environment. In asthma, multiple immune cell types play an important role in the inflammatory process. Genetic variants in CREs can also affect gene expression response dynamics and contribute to asthma risk.

Continuous monitoring and comparative genetic analysis of attached outbreak species of Ulva prolifera in the Southern Yellow Sea.

With years of green tide outbreaks in the Southern Yellow Sea (SYS) and climate change, early findings over multiple years suggest that the green tide may originate from various pathways. Previous studies have identified attached outbreak species of U. prolifera in the intertidal zone along the SYS coast.

Guidance for Prescribing Oral Antihypertensive Medications in the Emergency Department.

Purpose Of Review: To review the most current recommendations regarding assessment and treatment of asymptomatic hypertension treatment in the emergency department (ED) and to provide guidance for prescribing oral antihypertensive therapy for ED providers.

Recent Findings: There are varying management strategies for the treatment of asymptomatic hypertension in the ED likely due to a lack of direct guidelines for treatment. There is an increasing body of evidence for the safety of initiating therapy to treat chronic asymptomatic hypertension in the ED.

DNA methylation of long noncoding RNA cytochrome B in diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy, a microvascular complication of diabetes, is the leading cause of blindness in adults, but the molecular mechanism of its development remains unclear. Retinal mitochondrial DNA is damaged and hypermethylated, and mtDNA-encoded genes are downregulated. Expression of a long noncoding RNA (larger than 200 nucleotides, which does not translate into proteins), encoded by mtDNA, cytochrome B (Lnc), is also downregulated.

Evaluating One-Week Post-Casting Alignment Checks and Surgical Intervention Rates in Pediatric Type IIA Supracondylar Humeral Fractures.

Background: This study aims to determine the rate of surgical intervention in children with type IIA supracondylar humerus fractures (SCHF) following routine post-casting radiographic assessment. We hypothesized that no cases would convert to operative management following one-week post-casting alignment assessments.

Methods: This single-center retrospective study focused on pediatric patients diagnosed with type IIA SCHF from 2019 to 2022.

Use of pattern recognition in photoacoustic imaging to identify neuronal ensembles in the prefrontal cortex of rats undergoing conditioned fear learning.

Pattern recognition analysis in brain research has improved understanding of sensory processing and led to the identification of default brain networks in neuroimaging studies. The current study uses pattern recognition analysis to extend our previous findings showing conditioned fear learning and novelty-exposure (i.e.