Research protocol for bridging research, accurate information and dialogue (BRAID)-clinical trials: a mixed-methods study of a community-based intervention to improve trust and diversify participation in clinical trials.

Cultural beliefs, personal experiences, and historic abuses within the healthcare system-rooted in structural racism-all contribute to community distrust in science and medicine. This lack of trust, particularly within underserved communities, contributes to decreased participation in clinical trials and a lack of representation in the data. Open dialogue about community concerns and experiences related to research participation and medical care processes can help build trust and change attitudes and behaviors that affect community health. This protocol outlines an approach to increase trust in science and clinical trials among communities in the Bronx, New York that are typically underrepresented in research data. Bridging Research, Accurate Information and Dialogue (BRAID) is a two-phased, evidence-based community engagement model that creates safe spaces for bilateral dialogues between trusted community messengers, and clinicians and scientists. The team will conduct a series of BRAID Conversation Circles on the topic of clinical trials with local trusted community messengers. Participants will be members of the community who are perceived as "trusted messengers" and can represent the community's voice because they have insight into "what matters" locally. Conversation Circles will be audiotaped, transcribed, and analyzed to identify emergent challenges and opportunities surrounding clinical trial participation. These key themes will subsequently inform the codesign and co-creation of tailored messages and outreach efforts that community participants can disseminate downstream to their social networks. Surveys will be administered to all participants before and after each Conversation Circle to understand participants experience and evaluate changes in knowledge and attitudes about clinical trials, including protections for research participants the advantages of having diverse representation. Changes in motivation and readiness to share accurate clinical trial information downstream will also be assessed. Lastly, we will measure participants dissemination of codesigned science messages through their social networks by tracking participant specific resource URLs of materials and videos posted on a BRAID website. This protocol will assess the effectiveness and adoptability of an innovative CBPR model that can be applied to a wide range of public health issues and has the potential to navigate the ever-changing needs of the communities that surround health systems.

The Rapidly Evolving Landscape of DCD Heart Transplantation.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To summarise current international clinical outcomes from donation after circulatory death heart transplantation (DCD-HT); discuss procurement strategies, their impact on outcomes and overall organ procurement; and identify novel approaches and future areas for research in DCD-HT. RECENT FINDINGS: Globally, DCD-HT survival outcomes (regardless of procurement strategy) are comparable to heart transplantation from brain dead donors (BDD). Experience with normothermic machine perfusion sees improvement in rates of primary graft dysfunction. Techniques have evolved to reduce cold ischaemic exposure to directly procured DCD hearts, though controlled periods of cold ischaemia can likely be tolerated. There is interest in hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) for directly procured DCD hearts, with promising early results. Survival outcomes are firmly established to be equivalent between BDD and DCD-HT. Procurement strategy (direct procurement vs. regional perfusion) remains a source of debate. Methods to improve allograft warm ischaemic tolerance are of interest and will be key to the uptake of HMP for directly procured DCD hearts.

An Iterative Approach to Polish the Nanopore Sequencing Basecalling for Therapeutic RNA Quality Control.

Nucleotide modifications deviate nanopore sequencing readouts, therefore generating artifacts during the basecalling of sequence backbones. Here, we present an iterative approach to polish modification-disturbed basecalling results. We show such an approach is able to promote the basecalling accuracy of both artificially-synthesized and real-world molecules. With demonstrated efficacy and reliability, we exploit the approach to precisely basecall therapeutic RNAs consisting of artificial or natural modifications, as the basis for quantifying the purity and integrity of vaccine mRNAs which are transcribed in vitro , and for determining modification hotspots of novel therapeutic RNA interference (RNAi) molecules which are bioengineered (BioRNA) in vivo .

The Precise Basecalling of Short-Read Nanopore Sequencing.

The nanopore sequencing of short sequences, whose lengths are typically less than 0.3kb therefore comparable with Illumina sequencing techniques, has recently gained wide attention. Here, we design a scheme for training nanopore basecallers that are specialized for short biomolecules. With bioengineered RNA (BioRNA) molecules as examples, we demonstrate the superior accuracy of basecallers trained by our scheme.

Systematic review and meta-analysis of two decades of reported outcomes for robotic coronary artery bypass grafting.

Background: Despite the well-documented safety and feasibility of robotic coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), widespread adoption of this approach remains limited by its steep learning curve, high procedural costs and paucity of data on longer-term efficacy. This current meta-analysis aims to provide a systematic overview of the outcomes of robot-assisted CABG, with a focus on long term graft patency and freedom from major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE). Methods: A systematic literature search of three electronic databases was conducted for studies reporting outcomes of robotic-assisted CABG, and were grouped based on whether patients underwent robot-assisted minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (RA-MIDCAB), totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass (TECAB) or were mixed. Perioperative and mid-to-long term results from included studies were pooled using meta-analysis of proportion or means in a random effects model. Results: In the quantitative analysis, thirty-nine eligible studies included 6,152 patients who underwent RA-MIDCAB, 1,729 patients who underwent TECAB and 21,642 patients who underwent either form of robot-assisted CABG. A high level of heterogeneity was observed amongst baseline characteristics. Perioperative mortality and complication rates were low. Conversion rate to full sternotomy overall was less than 3.2% [95% confidence interval (CI): 2.1-5.2%, I2=39%]. At a mean follow-up duration of 5.2 years, overall graft patency was 96% for both RA-MIDCAB and TECAB, and freedom from major adverse cardiac events (MACE) or MACCE was 83.2% (95% CI: 72.0-90.4%; I2=90%) for RA-MIDCAB and 91.6% (95% CI: 86.6-94.9%; I2=76%) for TECAB. Conclusions: Robot-assisted CABG is observed to have acceptable perioperative and mid-to-long term outcomes with promising overall graft patency.

Association of Gum Treatment with Cognitive Decline and Dementia Risk among Older Adults with Periodontal Symptoms: A 12-Year Prospective Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: This study examines the associations of gum treatment with cognitive decline and dementia risk among older adults with periodontal symptoms in the USA. METHODS: A cohort of 866 adults aged ≥50 with periodontal symptoms was recruited for the 2008 Health and Retirement Study "Dental Health Experimental Module" and followed until 2020. Cognitive function was assessed with the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS). Dementia status was ascertained with the Langa-Weir algorithm based on TICS scores and proxy assessments. Linear mixed-effects model and multivariable Cox regression models were utilized to analyze the associations of gum treatment with cognitive decline and the risk of dementia, respectively. RESULTS: Of 866 participants (mean age 67.7, 61.4% women), 105 (12.1%) developed dementia with a median follow-up of 9 (IQR, 6-10) years. The dementia incidence rates were lower in the group with gum treatment (7.4 vs. 12.9 per 1,000 person-years). Compared with participants who did not have gum treatment, those with gum treatment experienced a decline in TICS score that was on average 0.025 (95% CI, 0.005-0.044) points less per year and a 38% lower incidence of dementia (hazard ratio, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.41-0.93). These associations were consistent across participants with a different severity of periodontal symptoms and sociodemographic characteristics (age, sex, race, ethnicity, and education) except for income levels. CONCLUSION: Prompt gum treatment for older adults with periodontal symptoms may be beneficial for their cognitive health.

Empagliflozin and Risk of Incident Gout: Analysis from the EMPagliflozin Comparative Effectiveness and SafEty (EMPRISE) Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Hyperuricemia is frequently observed in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and is associated with increased risk of gout and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Empagliflozin lowers serum urate levels by enhancing its urinary excretion. OBJECTIVE: To compare initiators of empagliflozin vs dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (DPP4i) and initiators of empagliflozin vs glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) with respect to the risk of incident gout events. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: Using three claims-based datasets from 08/2014 to 09/2019, we generated two cohorts (cohort 1: empagliflozin vs DPP4i; cohort 2: empagliflozin vs GLP-1RA) of adult patients with T2D and without prior history of gout or gout-specific medication dispensing separately in each dataset. To assess the risk of incident gout, we estimated hazard ratios (HR) and rate differences (RD) per 1000 person-years (PY) with their 95% confidence intervals (CI) before and after 1:1 propensity score (PS) matching adjusting for 141 baseline covariates. KEY RESULTS: We identified 102,262 pairs of 1:1 propensity score-matched adults in cohort 1 and 131,216 pairs in cohort 2. Over a mean follow-up period of 8 months on treatment, the risk of gout was lower in patients initiating empagliflozin compared to DPP4i (HR = 0.69: 95% CI (0.60-0.79); RD = - 2.27: 95% CI (- 3.08, 1.46)) or GLP-1RA (HR = 0.83: 95% CI (0.73-0.94); RD = - 0.99: 95% CI (- 1.66, - 0.32)). Results were consistent across subgroups (sex, age, body mass index, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, cardiovascular disease, and concurrent diuretic use) and sensitivity analyses. CONCLUSIONS: Among adults with T2D, the initiation of empagliflozin vs a DPP4i or GLP-1RA was associated with lower risk of incident gout, complementing results from a post hoc analysis of the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial and previously published observational research focusing on the sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor class in more narrowly defined study populations.

Predicting operative outcomes of total shoulder arthroplasty using the model for end-stage liver disease score.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score in predicting postoperative complications following total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). Methods: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement database was queried for all patients who underwent TSA between 2015 and 2019. The study population was subsequently classified into two categories: those with a MELD score ≥ 10 and those with a MELD score < 10. A total of 5265 patients undergoing TSA between 2015 and 2019 were included in this study. Among these, 4690 (89.1%) patients had a MELD score ≥ 10, while 575 (10.9%) patients had a MELD score < 10. Postoperative complications within 30 days of the TSA were collected. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the correlation between a MELD score ≥ 10 and postoperative complications. The anchor based optimal cutoff was calculated by receiver operating characteristic analysis to determine the MELD score cutoff that most accurately predicts a specific complication. Youden's index (J) determined the optimal cutoff point calculation for the maximum sensitivity and specificity; these were deemed to be "acceptable" if the area under curve (AUC) was greater than 0.7 and "excellent" if greater than 0.8. Results: Multivariate regression analysis found a MELD score ≥ 10 to be independently associated with higher rates of reoperation (OR, 2.08; P = .013), cardiac complications (OR, 3.37; P = .030), renal complications (OR, 7.72; P = .020), bleeding transfusions (OR, 3.23; P < .001), and nonhome discharge (OR, 1.75; P < .001). The receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that AUC for a MELD score cutoff of 7.61 as a predictor of renal complications was 0.87 (excellent) with sensitivity of 100.0% and specificity of 70.0%. AUC for a MELD score cutoff of 7.76 as a predictor of mortality was 0.76 (acceptable) with sensitivity of 81.8% and specificity of 71.0%. Conclusion: A MELD score ≥ 10 was correlated with high rates of reoperation, cardiac complications, renal complications, bleeding transfusions, and nonhome discharge following TSA. MELD score cutoffs of 7.61 and 7.76 were effective in predicting renal complications and mortality, respectively.

Cumulative effect of chronic dehydration and age on postoperative complications after total shoulder arthroplasty.

Background: Dehydration is a modifiable risk factor that should be optimized prior to all surgical procedures. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of dehydration on postoperative complications following total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). Methods: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement database was queried for all patients who underwent TSA between 2015 and 2019 and a total of 16,993 patients were included in this study. The study population was subsequently classified into 3 categories: 8498 (50.0%) nondehydrated patients with blood urea nitrogen/creatinine (BUN/Cr) < 20, 4908 (28.9%) moderately dehydrated patients with 20 ≤ BUN/Cr ≤ 25, and 3587 (21.1%) severely dehydrated patients with 25 < BUN/Cr. A subgroup analysis involving only elderly patients aged > 65 years and normalized gender-adjusted Cr values was also performed. Postoperative complications within 30 days of the TSA were collected. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore the correlation between dehydration and postoperative complications. Results: Adjusted multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the severely dehydrated cohort had a greater risk of postoperative transfusion, mortality, nonhome discharge, and increased length of stay (all P < .05). The moderately dehydrated cohort had a greater risk of wound dehiscence (P = .044). Among the elderly, severely dehydrated patients had a greater risk of cardiac complications, postoperative transfusion, mortality, nonhome discharge, and increased length of stay (all P < .05). Finally, the elderly moderately dehydrated cohort had a greater risk of postoperative transfusion and nonhome discharge (all P < .05). Conclusion: BUN/Cr ratio is an important preoperative diagnostic tool to identify at-risk dehydrated patients. Providers should optimize dehydration to prevent complications, decrease costs, and improve discharge planning.

Scaling of buccal mass growth and muscle activation determine the duration of feeding behaviours in the marine mollusc Aplysia californica.

The mechanical forces experienced during movement and the time constants of muscle activation are important determinants of the durations of behaviours, which may both be affected by size-dependent scaling. The mechanics of slow movements in small animals are dominated by elastic forces and are thus quasistatic (i.e. always near mechanical equilibrium). Muscular forces producing movement and elastic forces resisting movement should scale identically (proportional to mass2/3), leaving the scaling of the time constant of muscle activation to play a critical role in determining behavioural duration. We tested this hypothesis by measuring the duration of feeding behaviours in the marine mollusc Aplysia californica whose body sizes spanned three orders of magnitude. The duration of muscle activation was determined by measuring the time it took for muscles to produce maximum force as A. californica attempted to feed on tethered inedible seaweed, which provided an in vivo approximation of an isometric contraction. The timing of muscle activation scaled with mass0.3. The total duration of biting behaviours scaled identically, with mass0.3, indicating a lack of additional mechanical effects. The duration of swallowing behaviour, however, exhibited a shallower scaling of mass0.17. We suggest that this was due to the allometric growth of the anterior retractor muscle during development, as measured by micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) scans of buccal masses. Consequently, larger A. californica did not need to activate their muscles as fully to produce equivalent forces. These results indicate that muscle activation may be an important determinant of the scaling of behavioural durations in quasistatic systems.

Racial Diversity of Patient Population Represented on United States Plastic Surgeons' Webpages.

ABSTRACT: Current literature demonstrates a lack of racial diversity in plastic surgery media. However, to our knowledge, no study has yet examined the racial diversity of Webpage content as if from a patient-search perspective. The objective of this study is to determine if there is a racial discrepancy between the US Census, American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) statistics, and the media featuring implied patients on US plastic surgeons' Webpages from a patient-focused approach. A Google search was completed using the term "(state) plastic surgeon." The first 10 relevant Web sites were collected for each state, and homepages were analyzed. In line with previous studies, the implied patients in media were classified into 1 of 6 skin tone categories: I, ivory; II, beige; III, light brown; IV, olive; V, brown; and VI, dark brown. These correlate to Fitzpatrick phototypes; however, the Fitzpatrick scale measures skin's response to UV exposure. Skin tone was used as a guide to measure racial representation in the media, with the caveat that skin tone does not absolutely correlate to racial identity. Categories I-III were further classified as "white" and IV-VI as "nonwhite." These data were compared with the 2020 ASPS demographics report and US Census. Four thousand eighty individuals were analyzed from 504 Webpages, the majority of which were those of private practice physicians. A total of 91.62% of individuals were classified as "white" and 8.38% "nonwhite." The distribution by category was as follows: I = 265, II = 847, III = 2626, IV = 266, V = 71, and VI = 5. Using χ2 analyses, a statistically significant difference was found between the racial representation within this sample and that of the 2020 US Census nationally (P < 0.001), regionally (P < 0.001), and subregionally (P < 0.001); the 2020 ASPS Cosmetic Summary Data (P < 0.001); and the 2020 ASPS Reconstructive Summary Data (P < 0.001). This study highlights the significant difference between racial representation on plastic surgeons' Webpages and the demographics of patients they serve. Further analyses should identify the impact of these representational disparities on patient care and clinical outcomes, as well as examine how best to measure racial diversity and disparities in patient-oriented media.

Cochlear Implant Outcomes in Patients with Intralabyrinthine Schwannoma: A Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the literature and summarize cochlear implantation (CI) outcomes after intralabyrinthine schwannoma (ILS) excision and tumor observation with CI. DATA SOURCES: OVID Medline, Embase, Web of Science; conception to 2024. REVIEW METHODS: A literature review was performed using subject headings, MeSH terms, and keywords. Abstracts and full texts were reviewed by two independent reviewers and adjudicated by a third. Inclusion criteria included studies with ILS and CI with reported audiologic outcomes. Subjects were analyzed into two groups, ILS resection with CI and in situ ILS with CI. Patients with NF2 were included. The main outcome of interest was CI audiometric performance level, with secondary outcomes of CI user status and open-set speech attainment. RESULTS: There were 29 articles with a total of 93 patients who met inclusion criteria. The resection group had 17% low performers, 44% intermediate performers, and 38% high performers. The in situ group had 40% low performers, 32% intermediate performers, 27% high performers. The resection group had 69 patients with 97% maintaining user status and 92% with open-set speech recognition. The observation group had 24 patients, with 87% user rate and 86% achieving open-set speech recognition. There was a greater percentage of NF2 diagnosis seen in the in situ group. CONCLUSION: There is a paucity of literature on CI and ILS. Patients are managed with both resection of tumor and implantation in situ. Early data are limited, with improvement in hearing outcomes and high user rates in both populations. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: N/A Laryngoscope, 134:3910-3920, 2024.

Linear IgA bullous dermatosis of childhood: Retrospective single-center cohort.

Linear IgA bullous dermatosis (LABD) is a rare autoimmune blistering disorder impacting children and adults. In this single-center retrospective chart review of pediatric patients with LABD at a large tertiary referral center, we report the unifying and unique clinical features of 10 pediatric patients. Patients typically presented with the "cluster of jewels" sign (n = 6; 60%), mucous membrane involvement (n = 5; 50%) and had a mean disease duration of 38 months; six patients (60%) required inpatient admission for management of their skin disease, including all five patients who had mucous membrane involvement. Our findings suggest that pediatric LABD may be a disease with high morbidity and may be associated with severe complications when mucous membranes are involved.

Pediatric Patch Testing at Mayo Clinic Between 2016 and 2020.

Background: Allergic contact Dermatitis (ACD) is a common condition within the pediatric population. Patch testing is an important way to identify relevant allergens. Objective: To provide an update of the common contact allergens seen in children based on patch testing data at our institution from 2016 to 2020. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of patch test data from children aged 1-18 years from 2016 to 2020 at Mayo Clinic. Reaction rates were compared to the rates reported by the Pediatric Contact Dermatitis Registry (PCDR). Results: One hundred ninety-two children aged 1-18 were patch tested to various allergens. A total of 15,457 allergens were tested, with 291 positive tests. The top 5 allergens with highest positive reaction rates were hydroperoxides of linalool, hydroperoxides of limonene, methylisothiazolinone, nickel, and cobalt. Seven of the top 38 allergens with the highest reaction rates are not currently included in the Mayo Clinic Pediatric Patch Test Series, and 11 are not currently included in the Pediatric Baseline Series (as developed by the Pediatric Contact Dermatitis Workgroup). Conclusions: Patch testing is a useful tool to diagnose children with ACD. With new products and exposures, there is an opportunity to expand current pediatric patch testing series.

Adult-onset linear IgA bullous dermatosis: a retrospective single-center cohort study of 81 patients and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Linear IgA bullous dermatosis (LABD) is a rare autoimmune blistering disorder that may be drug-induced or paraneoplastic. We aim to characterize features of LABD and determine differentiating factors among idiopathic, drug-induced, or malignancy-associated diseases. METHODS: We conducted a single-center retrospective chart review of adult patients with linear IgA bullous dermatosis at a large tertiary referral center and a literature review of adult linear IgA bullous dermatosis. RESULTS: Eighty-one patients were included in the study. Ten patients (12.3%) had comorbid malignancy and nine (11.1%) had inflammatory bowel disease. Median disease duration was significantly shorter in both drug-induced (1.2 vs. 48.8 months; P < 0.001) and malignancy-associated (1.7 vs. 48.8 months; P < 0.001) LABD compared with idiopathic LABD. Recurrent episodes occurred significantly more often in idiopathic LABD compared to those with drug-induced (76.1 vs. 11.5%; P < 0.001) or malignancy-associated disease (76.1 vs. 33.3%; P = 0.019). Time to diagnosis was significantly shorter in the drug-induced (0.2 vs. 5.4 months; P < 0.001) and malignancy-associated groups (0.7 vs. 5.4 months; P = 0.049) compared with idiopathic; similarly, time to improvement was significantly shorter in both drug-induced (0.4 vs. 3.0 months; P < 0.001) and malignancy-associated disease (1.1 vs. 3.0 months; P = 0.016). Clinical morphology was indistinguishable between groups. Limitations included retrospective data collection, data from tertiary referral centers, and limited racial and ethnic diversity. CONCLUSION: Screening for underlying malignancy, as well as for a predisposing medication or possibly inflammatory bowel disease, may be advisable in patients with LABD, particularly when it is newly diagnosed.