TV Networks for College Sports: Implications for Institutional Subsidies.

University athletics because of its reporting structure, regulation by the NCAA, and relationship to the academic enterprise of institutions, provides a unique look into postsecondary institutional behavior. Using a difference-in-difference design, this study tests the introduction of new television networks dedicated to college sports on institutional subsidy levels for athletics. Overall, our findings show that institutions are responsive to the introduction of new college-sports-dedicated television networks. When considering institutions in the Power Five athletic conferences, we find an average decline in subsidy levels of approximately $1.2 million. When considering different types of subsidies, we find significant declines in direct subsidies and student fees, but no significant change for indirect subsidies.

A case report of malignant melanoma of the great toe.

UNLABELLED: Melanoma is reported as the most common malignant neoplasm of the foot and carries with it a very poor prognosis. This neoplasm arises from melanocytes, which are pigment-producing cells found predominantly in the skin, and the malignancy can metastasize to any organ system. Early and accurate diagnosis and treatment are paramount components of a successful course of management, and improve the rate of survival for those affected by this aggressive cutaneous neoplasm. In this report, we describe an invasive case of melanoma of the hallux that was misdiagnosed as a chronic ingrown and infected nail. LEVEL OF CLINICAL EVIDENCE: 4.

Fracture healing and biomarker expression in a diabetic Zucker rat model.

BACKGROUND: Persons with diabetes have a higher incidence of fractures compared with persons without diabetes. However, there is little published information concerning the deleterious effect of late-stage diabetes on fracture healing. There are no studies using animal models that evaluate the effect of advanced diabetes on fracture healing. The purpose of our study was to evaluate cytokine expression, specifically macrophage inflammatory protein 1 (MIP-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor, in fracture healing in a type 2 diabetes rat model. METHODS: We evaluated biomarker expression after femur fracture using a rat model. The two groups consisted of 24 Zucker diabetic rats (study group) and 12 Zucker lean rats (control group). An independent reviewer was used to assess delayed union. We evaluated serum samples 2, 4, 7, and 14 days after surgery for MIP-1, vascular endothelial growth factor, leptin, and other cytokine levels. RESULTS: At 3 weeks, Kaplan-Meier estimates showed that 45.8% of femur fractures in Zucker diabetic rats had healed, whereas 81.8% of those in Zucker lean rats had healed (P = .02). A logistic regression model to predict fast healing that included the three cytokines and diabetes status showed that the only factor achieving significance was MIP-1α. Vascular endothelial growth factor was the only biomarker to show significance compared with delayed healing. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm significant differences in biomarker expression between diabetic and nondiabetic rats during bone healing. The key factors for bone healing may appear early in the healing process, whereas differences in diabetes versus nondiabetes are seen later in the healing process. Increased levels of MIP-1α were associated with the likelihood of delayed healing.

Safety and effectiveness of flexor tenotomies to heal toe ulcers in persons with diabetes.

AIM: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of percutaneous tenotomy of the flexor digitorum longus to heal neuropathic ulcers on the tip of the toe. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed a cohort of 48 patients with 58 tenotomy procedures with diabetes related neuropathy and ulceration at the tip of the toe. Subjects were treated with tenotomy of the flexor digitorum longus. We then evaluated healing of the ulceration and any adverse events including recurrence, infection, healing failure, and amputation. RESULTS: 98.3% of the ulcerations healed. Mean ulcer healing time was 40+/-52 days. 12.1% had a recurrence of ulceration at the same site. Mean time to recurrence was 13.9 months. Five percent had post-operative soft tissue infection. Two patients had amputation of the digit; both had pre-existing osteomyelitis. Mean follow up was 28 months. CONCLUSION: Flexor tenotomy is a safe, simple procedure, which can enhance patients' healing potential with very little risk.