Exhaled breath condensate contains extracellular vesicles (EVs) that carry miRNA cargos of lung tissue origin that can be selectively purified and analyzed.

Lung diseases, including lung cancer, are rising causes of global mortality. Despite novel imaging technologies and the development of biomarker assays, the detection of lung cancer remains a significant challenge. However, the lung communicates directly with the external environment and releases aerosolized droplets during normal tidal respiration, which can be collected, stored and analzsed as exhaled breath condensate (EBC). A few studies have suggested that EBC contains extracellular vesicles (EVs) whose microRNA (miRNA) cargos may be useful for evaluating different lung conditions, but the cellular origin of these EVs remains unknown. In this study, we used nanoparticle tracking, transmission electron microscopy, Western blot analyses and super resolution nanoimaging (ONi) to detect and validate the identity of exhaled EVs (exh-EVs). Using our customizable antibody-purification assay, EV-CATCHER, we initially determined that exh-EVs can be selectively enriched from EBC using antibodies against three tetraspanins (CD9, CD63 and CD81). Using ONi we also revealed that some exh-EVs harbour lung-specific proteins expressed in bronchiolar Clara cells (Clara Cell Secretory Protein [CCSP]) and Alveolar Type II cells (Surfactant protein C [SFTPC]). When conducting miRNA next generation sequencing (NGS) of airway samples collected at five different anatomic levels (i.e., mouth rinse, mouth wash, bronchial brush, bronchoalveolar lavage [BAL] and EBC) from 18 subjects, we determined that miRNA profiles of exh-EVs clustered closely to those of BAL EVs but not to those of other airway samples. When comparing the miRNA profiles of EVs purified from matched BAL and EBC samples with our three tetraspanins EV-CATCHER assay, we captured significant miRNA expression differences associated with smoking, asthma and lung tumor status of our subjects, which were also reproducibly detected in EVs selectively purified with our anti-CCSP/SFTPC EV-CATCHER assay from the same samples, but that confirmed their lung tissue origin. Our findings underscore that enriching exh-EV subpopulations from EBC allows non-invasive sampling of EVs produced by lung tissues.

Dermoid cyst management and outcomes: A review of over 1,000 cases at a single institution.

BACKGROUND: Mature cystic teratomas represent nearly 60% of benign ovarian neoplasms across all age groups. We aim to update existing descriptive studies of ovarian teratomas including the epidemiology, rate of torsion/malignancy, and treatment modalities in a large modern cohort of patients. STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study of all pathology-confirmed cases of ovarian teratoma who underwent surgery at one tertiary care institution from 2004-2015. Patient demographics, ovarian cyst characteristics, surgical approach and timing, rate of spillage, and surgical complications were examined. RESULTS: 1,054 cases of ovarian teratoma were identified during the study period. There were 113 cases of bilateral teratoma (10.7%). Mean age at diagnosis was 38 years. Average cyst size was 6.26cm. The overall rate of torsion was 5.6%, with a higher rate of torsion with increasing cyst size. Over 70% of cases were treated with minimally invasive surgery, which was associated with decreased perioperative complications but an increased risk of cyst spillage. Among 394 patients with cyst spillage, only one developed chemical peritonitis. The malignant transformation rate of mature cystic teratoma in this cohort was 1.1%. This cohort included 100 pregnant women with mature teratoma. Pregnant patients were more likely to have minimally invasive surgery in the 1st trimester and more likely to undergo laparotomy in the 2nd or 3rd trimester. CONCLUSIONS: In this large modern cohort, we found similar rates of bilaterality, torsion, malignant transformation, and struma ovarii in ovarian teratomas when compared to previous literature. Most cases of ovarian teratoma can be managed laparoscopically, which is associated with a lower surgical complication rate. Despite increased risk of cyst spillage with a minimally invasive approach, chemical peritonitis is a rare complication.

ChatGPT for Automated Cross-Checking of Authors' Conflicts of Interest Against Industry Payments.

OBJECTIVE: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services "OpenPayments" database tracks industry payments to US physicians to improve research conflicts of interest (COIs) transparency, but manual cross-checking of articles' authors against this database is labor-intensive. This study aims to assess the potential of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT to automate COI data analysis in medical publications. STUDY DESIGN: An observational study analyzing the accuracy of ChatGPT in automating the cross-checking of COI disclosures in medical research articles against the OpenPayments database. SETTING: Publications regarding Food and Drug Administration-approved biologics for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis: omalizumab, mepolizumab, and dupilumab. METHODS: First, ChatGPT evaluated author affiliations from PubMed to identify those based in the United States. Second, for author names matching 1 or multiple payment recipients in OpenPayments, ChatGPT undertook a comparative analysis between author affiliation and OpenPayments recipient metadata. Third, ChatGPT scrutinized full article COI statements, producing an intricate matrix of disclosures for each author against each relevant company (Sanofi, Regeneron, Genentech, Novartis, and GlaxoSmithKline). A random subset of responses was manually checked for accuracy. RESULTS: In total, 78 relevant articles and 294 unique US authors were included, leading to 980 LLM queries. Manual verification showed accuracies of 100% (200/200; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 98.1%-100%) for country analysis, 97.4% (113/116; 95% CI: 92.7%-99.1%) for matching author affiliations with OpenPayments metadata, and 99.2% (1091/1100; 95% CI: 98.5%-99.6%) for COI statement data extraction. CONCLUSION: LLMs have robust potential to automate author-company-specific COI cross-checking against the OpenPayments database. Our findings pave the way for streamlined, efficient, and accurate COI assessment that could be widely employed across medical research.

Clinic Study Completion Rate in Orthopedic Surgery.

Purpose: The primary aim of this study is to determine the rate of completion of clinic-based study orders. Secondarily, we attempt to determine factors associated with study incompletion. Methods: This retrospective study included 591 clinic-based studies that were ordered for 510 patients at the time of clinical evaluation at a single medical center between April 8, 2018 and August 22, 2019. Inclusion criteria were studies ordered in a hand clinic for consecutive adult patients to be completed after the visit. Exclusion criteria included pediatric patients and routine radiographs obtained prior to the visit. Invasive studies were defined as studies with a significant procedural component, such as aspirations, injections and electromyography/nerve conduction (electrodiagnostic) studies (EDS). Blood tests and imaging were considered noninvasive. Patient demographics and study completion rates were collected through chart reviews. Univariate and bivariate analyses were performed, and P <.05 was considered significant. Results: The overall clinic-based study completion rate was 94.2%, with the highest incompletion rates seen in invasive studies (8.3%, n = 34) compared to noninvasive studies (3.3%, n = 10). Within the invasive study category, EDS had the highest rate of incompletion (11.4%) and contributed to the majority of incompletions in the invasive cohort (20/24). The median time to study completion was 7 days (interquartile range [IQR] 2-21). Race, gender, English as primary language, marriage status, insurance type, and distance from facility were similar between completed and noncompleted studies. Conclusion: Study completion rates were similar between all patients regardless of race, gender, and other social economic variables. Invasive studies, particularly EDS, had higher rates of incompletion and can be barriers to patients receiving additional care. Type of study/level of evidence: Therapeutic III.

High rates of vitamin D insufficiency among patients presenting for total knee arthroplasty.

Widely varying prevalence of vitamin D deficiency has been reported in patients presenting for total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The primary aim of this study was to determine vitamin D levels in TKA patients and to compare to patients already routinely evaluated for vitamin D levels, patients with fragility fractures of the distal radius (DRF). There is significant overlap between patients presenting for TKA and with DRF, both in terms of medical comorbidities and overall health status, making these populations suitable comparative cohorts. Wefound that all patients presenting for TKA consultation had vitamin D insufficiency and 33% had vitamin D deficiency, compared to only 37% and 14% in the DRF cohort, a patient population routinely evaluated for vitamin D due to the high risk of deficiency. Furthermore, patients with DRF had higher levels of vitamin D before (38 ± 16 vs. 23 ± 5) and after vitamin D supplementation (39 ± 17 vs. 33 ± 10), suggesting that patients presenting for TKA are at even higher risk of vitamin D insufficiency than patients presenting with DRF. Reassuringly, supplementation successfully corrected 39.0% and 55.8% of patients in the DRF and TKA cohorts, respectively.

Risk Factors for Rescue Opioid Prescription After Cubital Tunnel Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Concerns regarding the ongoing opioid epidemic have led to heightened scrutiny of postoperative opioid prescribing patterns for common orthopedic surgical procedures. This study investigated patient- and procedure-specific risk factors for additional postoperative opioid rescue prescriptions following ambulatory cubital tunnel surgery. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of patients who underwent cubital tunnel surgery at 2 academic medical centers between June 1, 2015 and March 1, 2020. Patient demographics, comorbidities, prior opioid history, and surgical variables were recorded. The primary outcome was postoperative rescue opioid prescription. Univariate and bivariate statistical analyses were performed. RESULTS: Two hundred seventy-four patients were included, of whom 171 (62%) underwent in situ ulnar nerve decompression and 103 (38%) underwent ulnar nerve decompression with anterior transposition. The median postoperative opioid prescription amount was 90 morphine equivalent units (MEU) for the total cohort, 77.5 MEU for in situ ulnar nerve decompression, and 112.5 MEU for ulnar nerve decompression with transposition. Twenty-two patients (8%) required additional rescue opioid prescriptions postoperatively. Female sex, fibromyalgia, chronic opioid use, chronic pain diagnosis, and recent opioid were associated with the need for additional postoperative rescue opioid prescriptions. CONCLUSIONS: While most patients do not require additional rescue opioid prescriptions after cubital tunnel surgery, chronic pain patients and patients with pain sensitivity syndromes are at risk for requiring additional rescue opioid prescriptions. For these high-risk patients, preoperative collaboration of a multidisciplinary team may be beneficial for developing a perioperative pain management plan that is both safe and effective.

Unraveling Links between Chronic Inflammation and Long COVID: Workshop Report.

As COVID-19 continues, an increasing number of patients develop long COVID symptoms varying in severity that last for weeks, months, or longer. Symptoms commonly include lingering loss of smell and taste, hearing loss, extreme fatigue, and "brain fog." Still, persistent cardiovascular and respiratory problems, muscle weakness, and neurologic issues have also been documented. A major problem is the lack of clear guidelines for diagnosing long COVID. Although some studies suggest that long COVID is due to prolonged inflammation after SARS-CoV-2 infection, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The broad range of COVID-19's bodily effects and responses after initial viral infection are also poorly understood. This workshop brought together multidisciplinary experts to showcase and discuss the latest research on long COVID and chronic inflammation that might be associated with the persistent sequelae following COVID-19 infection.

Evaluating Male Patients' Understanding of Osteoporosis Evaluation and Treatment Following a Distal Radius Fracture.

PURPOSE: Current estimates suggest that 1-2 million men in the United States have osteoporosis, yet the majority of osteoporosis literature focuses on postmenopausal women. Our aim was to understand men's awareness and knowledge of osteoporosis and its treatment. METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 male patients >50 years old who sustained a low-energy distal radius fracture. The goal was to ascertain patients' knowledge of osteoporosis, its management, and experience discussing osteoporosis with their primary care physicians (PCP). RESULTS: Participants had little knowledge of osteoporosis or its treatment. Many participants regarded osteoporosis as a women's disease. Most participants expressed concern regarding receiving a diagnosis of osteoporosis. Several patients stated that they believe osteoporosis may have contributed to their fracture. Families, friends, or mass media served as the primary information source for participants, but few had good self-reported understanding of the disease itself. The majority of participants reported never having discussed osteoporosis with their PCPs although almost half had received a dual x-ray absorptiometry scan. Participants expressed general interest in being tested/screened and generally were willing to undergo treatment despite the perception that medication has serious side effects. One patient expressed concern that treatment side effects could be worse than having osteoporosis. CONCLUSION: Critical knowledge gaps exist regarding osteoporosis diagnosis and treatment in at-risk male patients. Specifically, most patients were unaware they could be osteoporotic because of the perception of osteoporosis as a women's disease. Most patients had never discussed osteoporosis with their PCP. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Male patients remain relatively unaware of osteoporosis as a disease entity. Opportunity exists for prevention of future fragility fractures by improving communication between patients and physicians regarding osteoporosis screening in men following low-energy distal radius fractures.

Do Socioeconomic Factors Affect Symptom Duration and Disease Severity at Presentation for Cubital Tunnel Syndrome?

BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic factors have been implicated in delayed presentation for compressive neuropathies of the upper extremity. Our article seeks to elucidate the effect of socioeconomic factors on self-reported symptom duration and objective disease severity at presentation for cubital tunnel syndrome. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 207 patients with surgical management of cubital tunnel syndrome at 2 institutions between June 1, 2015, and March 1, 2020. Exclusion criteria included age under 18 years, revision surgery, lack of preoperative electrodiagnostic studies, and concurrent additional surgeries. Response variables were self-reported symptom duration, time from presentation to surgery, McGowan grade, and electrodiagnostic measures. Explanatory variables included age, sex, white race, diabetes mellitus, depression, anxiety, and the Distressed Communities Index. RESULTS: Symptom duration was associated with nonwhite race, and time from presentation to surgery was associated with insurance provider. More clinically severe disease was associated with older age, male sex, and not having carpal tunnel syndrome. Nonrecordable sensory nerve action potential latency was associated with older age, higher body mass index, male sex, diabetes mellitus, and unemployment. Nonrecordable conduction velocities were associated with older age, and having fibrillations at presentation was associated with older age, male sex, and unemployment. CONCLUSIONS: Economic distress is not associated with self-reported symptom duration, time from presentation to surgery, or presenting severity of cubital tunnel syndrome. White patients presented with shorter self-reported symptom duration. Insurance type was associated with delay from presentation to surgery. Older age and male sex were risk factors for more clinically severe disease at presentation.

Outcomes After Acute Versus Delayed Total Elbow Arthroplasty for the Treatment of Distal Humerus Fractures.

Purpose: Compare outcomes of acute versus delayed total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) following distal humerus fractures (DHF). Methods: This retrospective study included 39 patients who underwent primary TEA with semiconstrained implants for DHF, either within 4 weeks of their injury or after failing initial open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) or nonsurgical management, between June 1, 2003 and February 1, 2018 with minimum 1-year follow-up. Our outcome measures included QuickDASH (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand) score, complications, reoperations, and range of motion (ROM). Demographics, clinical variables, and outcomes were compared using the Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Fisher's exact test as appropriate. Kaplan-Meier curves for mortality, implant survivorship, and reoperation were created. Results: Our patients were categorized into acute TEA (n = 22), ORIF to TEA (n = 10), and nonsurgical to TEA (n = 7) treatment groups. Additional analysis was performed comparing acute to delayed TEA, which combined data from failed ORIF and nonsurgical cohorts. The median follow-up, average age, and median Charlson comorbility index were similar between groups. The most common fracture pattern was AO13C. At median follow-up of 5.8 years, QuickDASH differed between cohorts: mean of 31 (SD 19) in acute TEA and 52 (SD 27) in delayed TEA, which further subdivided to 44.2 (SD 25) in failed ORIF and 76 (SD 23) in failed nonsurgical management. Poorer QuickDASH scores at final follow-up were associated with delayed TEA, initial nonsurgical management, and depression. Surgical complications were associated with delayed TEA. Higher Charlson comorbidity index was associated with death. No variables were associated significantly with ROM, revision, or reoperation. Conclusion: Comminuted DHFs are difficult to treat in the elderly with high rates of complication and poor function after surgery. Our study suggests TEA performed acutely result in satisfactory outcomes and should be a consideration for patients at high risk of failing ORIF or nonsurgical management. Type of Study/Level of Evidence: Therapeutic, III.

A Novel Saliva and Serum miRNA Panel as a Potential Useful Index for Oral Cancer and the Association of miR-21 with Smoking History: a Pilot Study.

Tobacco use is implicated in the carcinogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), which is associated with poor survival if not diagnosed early. Identification of novel noninvasive, highly sensitive, and cost-effective diagnostic and risk assessment methods for OSCC would improve early detection. Here, we report a pilot study assessing salivary and serum miRNAs associated with OSCC and stratified by smoking status. Saliva and paired serum samples were collected from 23 patients with OSCC and 21 healthy volunteers, with an equal number of smokers and nonsmokers in each group. Twenty head and neck cancer-related miRNAs were quantified by qPCR (dual-labeled LNA probes) and analyzed by Welch t test (95% confidence interval). Four saliva miRNAs, miR-21, miR-136, miR-3928, and miR-29B, showed statistically significant overexpression in OSCC versus healthy controls (P < 0.05). miR-21 was statistically significantly overexpressed in OSCC smokers versus nonsmokers (P = 0.006). Salivary miR-21, miR-136, and miR-3928, and serum miR-21 and miR-136, showed statistically significant differential expression in early-stage tumors versus controls (P < 0.05), particularly miR-21 in smokers (P < 0.005). This pilot study provides a novel panel of saliva and serum miRNAs associated with oral cancer. Further validation as a potential useful index of oral cancer, particularly miR-21 in smokers and early-stage OSCC is warranted. PREVENTION RELEVANCE: Saliva and serum miR-21, miR-136, miR-3928, and miR-29B, are potentially associated with oral cancer even at an early stage, especially miR-21 in individuals with a smoking history, a further validation in a larger cohort of subjects with premalignant and early malignant lesions need to confirm.

Prognostic value of absolute lymphocyte count in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma.

Objectives: Absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) has been shown to be a prognostic indicator in other solid tumors. Given this, we aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of ALC in oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Methods: Using our institutional tumor registry data, we identified patients ≥18 years old who were diagnosed with OSCC between 2012 and 2018. Preoperative ALC values within 30 days of surgery were collected through retrospective chart review. American Joint Committee on Cancer, 7th-edition best stage was used to categorize cancers as early stage (stages 1 and 2) or late-stage (stages 3 and 4). Primary outcomes were likelihood of recurrence and survival rates after 3 years. Results: Of the 412 patients identified, 262 patients had available ALC data and met inclusion criteria. Early stage cancer patients who had lymphopenia did not have any significant difference in their rate of death ([OR], 1.71, CI: 0.54-5.45, p = .36) or likelihood recurrence ([OR], 0.60, CI: 0.06-5.87, p = .66) after controlling for age, tobacco use, alcohol use, positive margins, and adjuvant therapy. Late-stage cancer patients who had lymphopenia also showed no difference in their rate of death ([OR], 2.74, CI: 0.65-11.6, p = .17) or likelihood of recurrence ([OR], 0.38, CI: 0.04-3.36, p = .38). Conclusions and Relevance: This study evaluates the prognostic value of ALC in oral cavity cancers. Our findings demonstrate that pretreatment ALC is not significantly associated with recurrence and survival outcomes patients with OSCC. Level of Evidence: III. Lay Summary: Absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) has been associated with prognosis in several cancers. We found that preoperative ALC was not associated with likelihood of survival or recurrence in patients with early stage or late-stage oral cavity cancer.

Global equity and timely access: COVID-19 & beyond 23rd DCVMN Annual General Meeting 2022 report.

The 23rd Annual General Meeting of the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers' Network (DCVMN), co-hosted by Serum Institute of India (SII), gathered over 365 delegates and more than 90 high-level speakers for three days of presentations, discussions, and networking, in Pune, India. The meeting provided a platform for vaccine manufacturers from developing countries to voice their experience, challenges and successes, as they play a critical role in the global research, development and supply of vaccines for achieving vaccine equity through increased collaborations and partnerships. The key topics of the 23rd Annual General Meeting revolved around: the key learnings from COVID-19, pandemic preparedness, vaccine sustainability and scalability, strengthening Africa's local manufacturing, partnerships & collaborations, financing, innovations, and vaccine hesitancy. The overarching theme focused on equity, timely access and sustainability, which was carried through in each session, with each panelist providing their contribution to answering - how can we create a sustainable vaccine ecosystem?

Anatomical Variations of the First Dorsal Compartment in de Quervain Tenosynovitis.

BACKGROUND: De Quervain tenosynovitis of the wrist is a common pathology. The primary aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of extensor pollicis brevis and abductor pollicis longus (APL) anatomical variations in association with de Quervain tenosynovitis. The secondary aim was to compare additional patient-specific factors associated with de Quervain tenosynovitis. METHODS: This retrospective study included 172 patients with de Quervain tenosynovitis who underwent first dorsal compartment release and 179 patients with thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) arthritis who underwent thumb CMC arthroplasty between August 1, 2007, and May 1, 2022. The CMC group was chosen as the control group because the study surgeons perform APL suspensionplasty as the primary procedure for thumb CMC arthritis, allowing for a comparison group without de Quervain tenosynovitis. Exclusion criteria included patients undergoing revision surgery, patients undergoing thumb CMC procedure other than APL suspensionplasty, and patients with both CMC and first dorsal compartment diagnoses. Demographics, clinical variables, and intraoperative findings were collected through retrospective chart reviews. RESULTS: Patients in the de Quervain tenosynovitis group tended to be younger (51 years, range: 23-92 years vs 63 years, range: 28-85 years), women (86.1% vs 77.1%), and more commonly of African American or black race (15.7% vs 3.9%) and Asian race (5.2% vs 0%). There was a higher prevalence of tendon subcompartments (79.1% vs 64.2%), but fewer number of APL slips (38.3% vs 20.7% 2 or fewer slips) seen in the de Quervain tenosynovitis group. CONCLUSION: Anatomical variation exists between patients with and without de Quervain tenosynovitis. The presence of tendon subcompartments but not an increased number of tendon slips is associated with de Quervain tenosynovitis.

Does the Surgical Assistant Influence Perioperative Outcomes Surrounding Cubital Tunnel Surgery?

Background: Ulnar neuropathy at the elbow is the second most common upper extremity compressive neuropathy and surgical treatment often involves surgical trainee involvement. The primary aim of this study is to determine the effect of trainees and surgical assistants on outcomes surrounding cubital tunnel surgery. Methods: This retrospective study included 274 patients with cubital tunnel syndrome who underwent primary cubital tunnel surgery at two academic medical centres between 1 June 2015 and 1 March 2020. The patients were divided into four main cohorts based on primary surgical assistant: physician associates (PA, n = 38), orthopaedic or plastic surgery residents (n = 91), hand surgery fellows (n = 132), or both residents and fellows (n = 13). Exclusion criteria included patient age <18 years, revision surgery as the index procedure, prior traumatic ulnar nerve injury and concurrent procedures not related to cubital tunnel surgery. Demographics, clinical variables and perioperative findings were collected through chart reviews. Univariate and bivariate analyses were performed, and p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Patients in all cohorts had similar demographic and clinical characteristics. There was a significantly higher rate of subcutaneous transposition in the PA cohort (39.5% PA vs. 13.2% Resident vs. 19.7% Fellow vs. 15.4% Resident + Fellow). Presence of surgical assistants and trainees had no association with length of surgery, complications and reoperation rates. Although male sex and ulnar nerve transposition were associated with longer operative times, no explanatory variables were associated with complications or reoperation rates. Conclusions: Surgical trainee involvement in cubital tunnel surgery is safe and has no effect on operative time, complications or reoperation rates. Understanding the role of trainees and measuring the effect of graduated responsibility in surgery is important for medical training and safe patient care. Level of Evidence: Level III (Therapeutic).

High Complication Rate Associated With Arthroscopic Lysis of Adhesions Versus Manipulation Under Anesthesia for Arthrofibrosis After Total Knee Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Arthrofibrosis after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is often treated by arthroscopic lysis of adhesions (ALAs) or manipulation under anesthesia (MUA). This study compared the 2-year complication rates of ALA and MUA and range-of-motion (ROM) outcomes for ALA, early MUA (<3 months after TKA), and delayed MUA (>3 months after TKA). METHODS: This retrospective cohort study included 425 patients undergoing ALA or MUA after primary TKA from 2001 to 2018. Demographics, clinical variables, and complication rates were collected from clinical records and compared using Student t -tests and Kaplan-Meier log-rank tests. Multivariable logistic regressions were used for adjusted analysis. ROM data were analyzed using fixed and mixed-effects models. RESULTS: ALA patients were younger (55.2 versus 58.9 years, P < 0.001) and underwent surgery later from the index TKA (12 versus 1.9 months, P < 0.001). The Charlson Comorbidity Index was higher in the MUA group. Preoperative ROM was significantly worse in the MUA cohort, but did not differ between groups after the procedure (117°, P = 0.27) or at 2 years. Demographics and ROM outcomes were equivalent between early MUA and delayed MUA ( P = 0.75). The incidence of repeat arthrofibrosis (7.1%) and revision arthroplasty (2.4%) was similar between ALA and MUA cohorts while ALA patients had significantly more surgical site infections (3.8%) compared with MUA patients (0.47%, P = 0.017). DISCUSSION: Equivalent ROM outcomes were seen between ALA, early MUA, and delayed MUA for the treatment of arthrofibrosis after TKA. However, this study demonstrated a markedly higher complication rate, particularly surgical site infection, after ALA, suggesting that MUA may be the preferred option for treating arthrofibrosis at both early and late time points.

Parent-Child Nonverbal Engagement During Read Versus Sung Book-Sharing in Preschoolers with and without ASD.

Providing natural opportunities that scaffold interpersonal engagement is important for supporting social interactions for young children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Musical activities are often motivating, familiar, and predictable, and may support both children and their interaction partners by providing opportunities for shared social engagement. We assessed multiple facets of nonverbal social engagement - child and caregiver visual attention and interpersonal movement coordination - during musical (song) and non-musical (picture) book-sharing contexts in caregiver-child dyads of preschoolers with (n = 13) and without (n = 16) ASD. Overall, children with ASD demonstrated reduced visual attention during the book sharing activity, as well as reduced movement coordination with their caregivers, compared to children with typical development. Children in both diagnostic groups, as well as caregivers, demonstrated greater visual attention (gaze toward the activity and/or social partner) during song books compared to picture books. Visual attention behavior was correlated between children and caregivers in the ASD group but only in the song book condition. Findings highlight the importance of considering how musical contexts impact the behavior of both partners in the interaction. Musical activities may support social engagement by modulating the behavior of both children and caregivers.

MiRNA expression deregulation correlates with the Oncotype DX® DCIS score.

BACKGROUND: Current clinical criteria do not discriminate well between women who will or those who will not develop ipsilateral invasive breast cancer (IBC), or a DCIS recurrence after a ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) diagnosis. The 12-gene Oncotype DX® DCIS assay (RT qPCR gene-based scoring system) was established and shown to predict the risk of subsequent ipsilateral IBC or DCIS recurrence. Recent studies have shown that microRNA (miRNA) expression deregulation can contribute to the development of IBC, but very few have evaluated miRNA deregulation in DCIS lesions. In this study, we sought to determine whether specific miRNA expression changes may correlate with Oncotype DX® DCIS scores. METHODS: For this study, we used archived formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens from 41 women diagnosed with DCIS between 2012 and 2018. The DCIS lesions were stratified into low (n = 26), intermediate (n = 10), and high (n = 5) risk score groups using the Oncotype DX® DCIS assay. Total RNA was extracted from DCIS lesions by macro-dissection of unstained FFPE sections, and next-generation small-RNA sequencing was performed. We evaluated the correlation between miRNA expression data and Oncotype score, as well as patient age. RT-qPCR validations were performed to validate the topmost differentially expressed miRNAs identified between the different risk score groups. RESULTS: MiRNA sequencing of 32 FFPE DCIS specimens from the three different risk group scores identified a correlation between expression deregulation of 17 miRNAs and Oncotype scores. Our analyses also revealed a correlation between the expression deregulation of 9 miRNAs and the patient's age. Based on these results, a total of 15 miRNAs were selected for RT-qPCR validation. Of these, miR-190b (p = 0.043), miR-135a (p = 0.05), miR-205 (p = 0.00056), miR-30c (p = 0.011), and miR-744 (p = 0.038) showed a decreased expression in the intermediate/high Oncotype group when compared to the low-risk score group. A composite risk score was established using these 5 miRNAs and indicated a significant association between miRNA expression deregulation and the Oncotype DX® DCIS Score (p < 0.0021), between high/intermediate and low risk groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our analyses identified a subset of 5 miRNAs able to discriminate between Oncotype DX® DCIS score subgroups. Together, our data suggest that miRNA expression analysis may add value to the predictive and prognostic evaluation of DCIS lesions.

Maternal Outcomes in Women with Peripartum Cardiomyopathy versus Age and Race-Matched Peers in an Urban US Community.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is idiopathic systolic congestive heart failure around pregnancy. Comparisons with matched controls are lacking. We investigated maternal characteristics and outcomes up to 12 months in a cohort admitted to Montefiore Health System in Bronx, New York 1999−2015 (n = 53 cases and n = 92 age and race-matched controls, >80% Black or Hispanic/Latina). Compared to peers, women with PPCM had more chronic hypertension (24.5% vs. 8.8%, p = 0.001), prior gestational hypertension (20.8% vs. 5.4%, p = 0.001), prior preeclampsia (17.0% vs. 3.3%, p = 0.001), familial dilated cardiomyopathy (5.7% vs. 0.0%, p = 0.04), smoking (15.1% vs. 2.2%, p = 0.001), lower summary socioeconomic scores (−4.12 (IQR −6.81, −2.13) vs. −1.62 (IQR −4.20, −0.74), p < 0.001), public insurance (67.9% vs. 29.3% p = 0.001), and frequent depressive symptoms. Women with PPCM were often admitted antepartum (34.0% vs. 18.5%, p = 0.001) and underwent Cesarean section (65.4% vs. 30.4%, p = 0.001), but had less preterm labor (27.3% vs. 51.1%, p = 0.001). Women were rarely treated with bromocriptine (3.8%), frequently underwent left ventricular assist device placement (9.4% and n = 2 with menorrhagia requiring transfusion and progesterone) or heart transplantation (3.8%), but there were no in-hospital deaths. In sum, women with PPCM had worse socioeconomic disadvantage and baseline health than matched peers. Programs addressing social determinants of health may be important for women at high risk of PPCM.