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OBJECTIVE: Investigate the association between demographic characteristics and emergency department (ED) epistaxis management and outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: TriNetX US collaborative database. METHODS: Adults presenting to the ED for epistaxis were retrospectively followed for 7 days. Spanish-speaking patients were propensity score matched to English-speaking patients by demographics and medical history. Outcomes included use of nasal decongestant, nasal packing or cautery, diagnostic nasal endoscopy, endoscopic control of hemorrhage, hospital admission, and mortality. The analysis was also performed with stratification by race and ethnicity. RESULTS: Spanish-speaking patients were less likely to receive nasal packing or cautery [odds ratio, OR: 0.78; 95% confidence interval, CI: (0.68; 0.90)] or diagnostic nasal endoscopy [OR: 0.72; 95% CI: (0.52; 0.98)] compared to English-speaking patients. Black patients were more likely to receive treatment with a nasal decongestant spray [OR: 1.31; 95% CI: (1.27, 1.36)], but less likely to receive any other treatment compared to White patients. Asian patients were less likely to undergo nasal packing or cautery [OR: 0.90; 95% CI: (0.82; 0.99)], but had more ED visits [(1.37; 1.32) P < .01] compared to White patients. Hispanic patients were less likely to be admitted [OR: 0.93; 95% CI: (0.87; 0.98)], and averaged fewer ED visits [(1.27; 1.30) P = <.0001] compared to non-Hispanic patients. CONCLUSION: While demographic trends in ED epistaxis management are nuanced, our results suggest that Spanish-speaking, Black, Asian, and Hispanic patients are less likely to receive diagnostic and epistaxis control procedures. Additional research is needed to determine the etiology of these differences.
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Meningioma and schwannoma are common tumours of the nervous system. They occur sporadically or as part of the hereditary NF2-related schwannomatosis syndrome. There is an unmet need for new effective drug treatments for both tumour types. In this paper, we demonstrate overexpression/activation of TAM (TYRO3/AXL/MERTK) receptors (TAMs) and overexpression/release of ligand GAS6 in patient-derived meningioma tumour cells and tissue. For the first time, we reveal the formation of MERTK/TYRO3 heterocomplexes in meningioma and schwannoma tissue. We demonstrate the dependence of AXL and TYRO3 expression on MERTK in both tumour types, as well as interdependency of MERTK and AXL expression in meningioma. We show that MERTK and AXL contribute to increased proliferation and survival of meningioma and schwannoma cells, which we inhibited in vitro using the MERTK/FLT3 inhibitor UNC2025 and the AXL inhibitor BGB324. UNC2025 was effective in both tumour types with superior efficacy over BGB324. Finally, we found that TAMs are expressed by tumour-associated macrophages in meningioma and schwannoma tumours and that UNC2025 strongly depleted macrophages in both tumour types.
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BACKGROUND: Bioresorbable nasal packing is associated with a decreased incidence of adhesions and bleeding postoperatively after endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS). However, discomfort during postoperative debridement is still a major area of concern for patients. Our objective was to compare the efficacy of a peptide hydrogel to that of a chitosan-based polymer in reducing pain during debridement after ESS. METHODS: A prospective, multicenter, randomized, blinded trial was conducted in adults undergoing bilateral total ethmoidectomy for chronic rhinosinusitis. Participants served as their own controls with each subject receiving the hydrogel in a randomized ethmoid cavity and chitosan-based polymer in the contralateral ethmoid cavity. Participants were evaluated at 1, 4, and 12 weeks postoperatively. Pain during debridement as well as endoscopic evaluation of mucosal healing and hemostasis were measured. RESULTS: Thirty patients who underwent ESS were included in this trial. During the week 1 postoperative debridement, patients reported significantly less pain on the hydrogel-treated side compared to the chitosan-based polymer-treated side. There were no significant differences in bleeding severity, Lund-Kennedy scores, debridement time, or need for further intervention between the two groups. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the efficacy of a peptide hydrogel in minimizing pain during postoperative debridement.
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Since the introduction of vaccines for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in the United States, there has been significant vaccine hesitancy, in part due to fear of adverse effects. We sought to investigate the rates of smell and taste changes after COVID-19 vaccination compared to other common vaccines. Our study cohort included individuals identified by Current Procedural Terminology code in the TriNetX database receiving the COVID-19 first series, COVID-19 booster, influenza, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (TDAP), or pneumococcal vaccines between December 15, 2020, and August 15, 2023. After 1:1 propensity score matching, postvaccination incidence of disturbance of smell and taste was significantly less likely after COVID-19 first series vaccine compared to influenza (odds ratios, OR: 0.27 [95% confidence interval, CI: 0.20-0.36]), TDAP (OR: 0.35 [95% CI: 0.26-0.47]), and pneumococcal vaccines (OR: 0.17 [95% CI: 0.09-0.32]). Similarly, incidence of disturbance of smell and taste was significantly less likely after COVID-19 booster vaccine compared to the influenza (OR: 0.60 [95% CI: 0.48-0.76]), TDAP (OR: 0.63 [95% CI: 0.47-0.85]), and pneumococcal vaccines (OR: 0.44 [95% CI: 0.28-0.68]). This study builds upon the literature demonstrating the safety of COVID-19 vaccination.
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OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether hormone replacement therapy (HRT) impacts health care resource utilization in the management of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in older women. METHODS: Using the TriNetX US health record database, women 55 years or older with a diagnosis of CRS were included and followed for 3 years. The cohort was stratified into two groups: women who received HRT at the beginning of the study were compared to women who did not receive HRT. The groups were matched by age, race, ethnicity, history of asthma, and history of nasal polyps. Outcomes included whether the patient underwent endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) and frequency of antibiotic use. Measures of association, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and cohort descriptive statistics were calculated. RESULTS: Of the 65,400 women included, the mean age was 66.9 years. 27.0% and 3.6% of patients had a history of asthma or nasal polyps, respectively. Overall, 2.0% of CRS patients underwent ESS, with the HRT group less likely to undergo ESS [OR: 0.28; 95% CI: (0.25-0.32)] compared to patients who did not receive HRT. When stratified by polyp status, HRT patients with nasal polyps had a greater decrease in ESS rates compared to control than HRT patients without nasal polyps. The HRT group had a higher mean number of antibiotic prescriptions compared to the non-HRT group. CONCLUSION: HRT is associated with decreased utilization of ESS to treat CRS, with a greater effect size for ESS among CRSwNP patients. However, HRT was associated with higher antibiotic utilization. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Laryngoscope, 134:3921-3926, 2024.
Subject(s)
Hormone Replacement Therapy , Rhinosinusitis , Aged , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Chronic Disease , Endoscopy/statistics & numerical data , Endoscopy/methods , Hormone Replacement Therapy/methods , Hormone Replacement Therapy/statistics & numerical data , Nasal Polyps/surgery , Nasal Polyps/complications , Nasal Polyps/drug therapy , Retrospective Studies , Rhinosinusitis/drug therapy , Rhinosinusitis/surgery , United StatesABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Aromatase inhibitor (AI) therapy reduces risk of recurrence and death for postmenopausal women with breast cancer (BC); however, AI-induced arthralgia (AIIA) can lead to discontinuation of treatment. Curcumin, a bioactive polyphenolic substance, may help ameliorate inflammation-related conditions including osteoarthritis and pain. METHODS: We conducted a multisite randomized placebo-controlled, double-blind pilot trial (Alliance A22_Pilot9) to evaluate the effects of nanoemulsion curcumin (NEC, 200 mg/day) in postmenopausal women experiencing AIIA for ≥ 3 months. The primary objective was to determine the feasibility of using Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment-Endocrine Symptoms (FACT-ES) to detect changes from 0 (T0) to 3 months (T3) of NEC treatment in AI-induced symptoms and well-being; secondary objectives included evaluation of changes in Disabilities of the Shoulder, Arm, and Hand (DASH), Brief Pain Inventory-short form (BPI-SF), grip strength, and biomarkers at T0 and T3. RESULTS: Forty-two patients were randomized to NEC or placebo; 34 women completed the 3-month study. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs: FACT-ES, DASH, BPI-SF) and biospecimens were collected at T0-T3 in > 80% of participants. Adherence was ≥ 90% for both arms. PROMs and grip strength did not differ significantly by treatment arm. Plasma curcumin was detected only in NEC arm participants. Serum estradiol and estrone levels were below detection or low on study agent. Gastrointestinal adverse effects were commonly reported in both arms. CONCLUSION: NEC versus placebo in a multisite randomized trial is feasible and well-tolerated. Additional studies with larger sample size are needed to further evaluate the efficacy and safety of NEC in treatment of AIIA. CLINICALTRIALS: gov Identifier: NCT03865992, first posted March 7, 2019.
Subject(s)
Aromatase Inhibitors , Breast Neoplasms , Curcumin , Humans , Female , Curcumin/therapeutic use , Curcumin/administration & dosage , Aromatase Inhibitors/adverse effects , Aromatase Inhibitors/administration & dosage , Pilot Projects , Middle Aged , Aged , Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy , Double-Blind Method , Emulsions , Treatment Outcome , Postmenopause , Arthralgia/chemically induced , Arthralgia/drug therapyABSTRACT
Objective: To understand the effect of age on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with hearing loss and determine how primary language mediates this relationship. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: General otolaryngology clinic in Los Angeles. Methods: Demographics, medical records, and HRQoL data of adult patients presenting with otology symptoms were reviewed. HRQoL was measured using the Short-Form 6-Dimension utility index. All patients underwent audiological testing. A path analysis was performed to generate a moderated path analysis with HRQoL as the primary outcome. Results: This study included 255 patients (mean age = 54 years; 55% female; 27.8% did not speak English as a primary language). Age had a positive direct association with HRQoL (p < .001). However, the direction of this association was reversed by hearing loss. Older patients exhibited significantly worse hearing (p < .001), which was negatively associated with HRQoL (p < .05). Primary language moderated the relationship between age and hearing loss. Specifically, patients who did not speak English as a primary language had significantly worse hearing (p < .001) and therefore worse HRQoL (p < .01) than patients who spoke English as a primary language with hearing loss. Increasing age was associated with bilateral hearing loss compared to unilateral hearing loss (p < .001) and subsequently lower HRQoL (p < .001). Polypharmacy (p < .01) and female gender (p < .01) were significantly associated with lower HRQoL. Conclusion: Among otolaryngology patients with otology symptoms, older age and not speaking English as a primary language were associated with worse hearing and subsequently lower HRQoL.
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OBJECTIVES: The combined effects of age and gender on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in otolaryngology patients are unclear. This study tested the hypothesis that the effect of age on HRQoL differs by gender in otolaryngology patients. METHODS: Patients seen in a general otolaryngology clinic were included in this retrospective chart review. HRQoL was measured by the SF-6D score. Patient characteristics, including demographics and category of chief otolaryngology complaint, were extracted from medical records. A multivariable linear regression analysis was used to analyze the combined effect of age and gender on HRQoL. The model was adjusted for race, ethnicity, number of complaint categories, and number of medications. RESULTS: The study included 728 patients (age mean = 52, SD = 18; 48% male). Multivariable linear regression models found a significant interaction effect between age and gender (ß = 0.213, p < 0.05). For younger patients, female gender was protective; however, at age greater than 35 years, female gender was a risk factor for decreased HRQoL. Compared to Black patients, Asian and other race patients reported significantly greater HRQoL (ß = 0.207, p < 0.05 for Asian; ß = 0.126, p < 0.05 for other races). Additionally, an antagonistic interaction effect was found between age and number of category of otolaryngology complaints in moderating HRQoL (ß = 0.468, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Age affects HRQoL differently in men than in women. Among otolaryngology patients, women experience a greater decrease in HRQoL as they age. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 133:801-806, 2023.
Subject(s)
Ethnicity , Quality of Life , Humans , Male , Female , Adult , Retrospective Studies , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
Active site hydrogen-bond (H-bond) networks represent a key component by which metalloenzymes control the formation and deployment of high-valent transition metal-oxo intermediates. We report a series of dinuclear cobalt complexes that serve as structural models for the nonheme diiron enzyme family and feature a Co2(µ-OH)2 diamond core stabilized by intramolecular H-bond interactions. We define the conditions required for the kinetically controlled synthesis of these complexes: [Co2(µ-OH)2(µ-OAc)(κ1-OAc)2(pyR)4][PF6] (1R), where OAc = acetate and pyR = pyridine with para-substituent R, and we describe a homologous series of 1R in which the para-R substituent on pyridine is modulated. The solid state X-ray diffraction (XRD) structures of 1R are similar across the series, but in solution, their 1H NMR spectra reveal a linear free energy relationship (LFER) where, as R becomes increasingly electron-withdrawing, the intramolecular H-bond interaction between bridging µ-OH and κ1-acetate ligands results in increasingly "oxo-like" µ-OH bridges. Deprotonation of the bridging µ-OH results in the quantitative conversion to corresponding cubane complexes: [Co4(µ-O)4(µ3-OAc)4(pyR)4] (2R), which represent the thermodynamic sink of self-assembly. These reactions are unusually slow for rate-limiting deprotonation events, but rapid-mixing experiments reveal a 6000-fold rate acceleration on going from R = OMe to R = CN. These results suggest that we can tune reactivity by modulating the µ-OH pKa in the presence of intramolecular H-bond interactions to maintain stability as the octahedral d6 centers become increasingly acidic. Nature may similarly employ dynamic carboxylate-mediated H-bond interactions to control the reactivity of acidic transition metal-oxo intermediates.
Subject(s)
Biomimetic Materials/chemistry , Cobalt/chemistry , Organometallic Compounds/chemistry , Biomimetic Materials/chemical synthesis , Hydrogen Bonding , Molecular Structure , Organometallic Compounds/chemical synthesisABSTRACT
Vertical and lateral heterostructures of van der Waals materials provide tremendous flexibility for band-structure engineering. Because electronic bands are sensitively affected by defects, strain, and interlayer coupling, the edge and heterojunction of these two-dimensional (2D) systems may exhibit novel physical properties, which can be fully revealed only by spatially resolved probes. Here, we report the spatial mapping of photoconductivity in a monolayer-bilayer WSe2 lateral heterostructure under multiple excitation lasers. As the photon energy increases, the light-induced conductivity detected by microwave impedance microscopy first appears along the heterointerface and bilayer edge, then along the monolayer edge, inside the bilayer area, and finally in the interior of the monolayer region. The sequential emergence of mobile carriers in different sections of the sample is consistent with the theoretical calculation of local energy gaps. Quantitative analysis of the microscopy and transport data also reveals the linear dependence of photoconductivity on the laser intensity and the influence of interlayer coupling on carrier recombination. Combining theoretical modeling, atomic-scale imaging, mesoscale impedance microscopy, and device-level characterization, our work suggests an exciting perspective for controlling the intrinsic band gap variation in 2D heterostructures down to a regime of a few nanometers.
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Piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties in the two-dimensional (2D) limit are highly desired for nanoelectronic, electromechanical, and optoelectronic applications. Here we report the first experimental evidence of out-of-plane piezoelectricity and ferroelectricity in van der Waals layered α-In2Se3 nanoflakes. The noncentrosymmetric R3m symmetry of the α-In2Se3 samples is confirmed by scanning transmission electron microscopy, second-harmonic generation, and Raman spectroscopy measurements. Domains with opposite polarizations are visualized by piezo-response force microscopy. Single-point poling experiments suggest that the polarization is potentially switchable for α-In2Se3 nanoflakes with thicknesses down to â¼10 nm. The piezotronic effect is demonstrated in two-terminal devices, where the Schottky barrier can be modulated by the strain-induced piezopotential. Our work on polar α-In2Se3, one of the model 2D piezoelectrics and ferroelectrics with simple crystal structures, shows its great potential in electronic and photonic applications.