Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a maternally inherited bilaterally blinding optic neuropathy, predominantly affecting otherwise healthy young individuals, mostly men. The visual prognosis is generally poor, with most patients worsening to at least 20/200 visual acuity. The m.11778G>A (MTND4) mitochondrial DNA mutation is the most common cause of LHON and is associated with poor outcomes and limited potential for meaningful visual recovery. Treatments for LHON are limited, and clinical trials are hampered by inadequate data regarding the natural history of visual loss and recovery. In this article, we review the current literature specifically related to visual function of LHON patients with the m.11778G>A mutation.
Literature review was performed using MEDLINE through PubMed, Cochrane Reviews Library, and Orpha.net with search terms of "Leber hereditary optic neuropathy," "LHON," "ND4," "G11778A," "visual acuity," "nadir," "natural history," and "registry." All English-language, peer-revstudies with sufficient sample sizes of genotypically homogeneous untreated LHON patients stratified by age, immediately enrolled when symptomatic, followed regularly for adequate periods of time with consistent measures of visual function, and analyzed with a standard definition of visual improvement are unfortunately lacking. Future clinical trials for LHON will require more standardized reporting of the natural history of this disorder.
During a pandemic, it is paramount to understand volume changes in Level I trauma so that with appropriate planning and reallocation of resources, these facilities can maintain and even improve life-saving capabilities. Evaluating nonaccidental and accidental trauma can highlight potential areas of improvement in societal behavior and hospital preparedness. These critical questions were proposed to better understand how healthcare leaders might adjust surgeon and team coverage of trauma services as well as prepare from a system standpoint what resources will be needed during a pandemic or similar crisis to maintain services.
(1) How did the total observed number of trauma activations, defined as patients who meet mechanism of injury requirements which trigger the notification and aggregation of the trauma team upon entering the emergency department, change during a pandemic and stay-at-home order? (2) How did the proportion of major mechanisms of traumatic injury change during this time period? (3) How di which suggest community awareness, crisis de-escalation strategies, and programs need to be created to address violence in the community. Understanding these changes allows for adjustments in staffing schedules. Surgeons and trauma teams could allow for longer shifts between changeover, decreasing viral exposure because the volume of work would be lower. Understanding the shift in injury could also lead to a change in specialists covering call. With the often limited availability of orthopaedic trauma-trained surgeons who can perform life-saving pelvis and acetabular surgery, this data may be used to mitigate exposure of these surgeons during pandemic situations.
Level III, therapeutic study.
Level III, therapeutic study.
The aim of this study was to develop and validate a mobile application patient decision aid (mPDA) for providing treatment options to women with overactive bladder (OAB).
We performed a mixed methods study. We conducted cognitive interviews to gain insight about treatment decisions for OAB. We then developed an evidence-based mPDA and conducted a prospective cohort study to validate it. Women completed the validated Decisional Conflict Scale. Construct validity was determined by comparing Decisional Conflict Scale scores before and after use of the decision aid. Concurrent validity was assessed by determining the relationship between change in Decision Conflict Scale score and a validated Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire. Discriminant validity was assessed by comparing the change in Decision Conflict Scale score in women who had failed 2 or less versus 3 or more prior treatments.
Fifteen women participated in cognitive interviews. Thematic analysis revealed that women want information about adverse events, personalization of treatment options, and supplemental interactive sources. Sixty-five women participated in the validation study. Decision Conflict Scale scores improved significantly after use of the decision aid (60.2 ± 22.3 vs 18.7 ± 19.5, P < 0.001). Change in Decision Conflict Scale score correlated moderately with Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire score (r = 0.437, P = 0.003). Women with 3 or more prior treatment failures had greater improvement in Decision Conflict Scale score than women with 2 or less prior treatment failures (P < 0.001).
The mPDA is a valuable adjunct to physician counseling for treatment options in women with OAB.
The mPDA is a valuable adjunct to physician counseling for treatment options in women with OAB.
A major challenge for stroke rehabilitation and recovery research is the recruitment and retention of participants. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/azd3514.html Our prior challenges and successes have influenced our team to rethink our approach and the potential for large-scale stroke recruitment.
In this special interest article, we highlight how the adoption and implementation of recruitment strategies such as physician engagement and a streamlined "customer service" approach helped us improve our enrollment and maximize efficiency. Another positive outcome of enrollment was increased representation of those who identify as underrepresented minority or live in rural areas.
Rethinking our recruitment processes and infrastructure allowed for greater interprofessional interactions, minimal burden for our stroke physician team members, and maximized enrollment into our stroke studies.Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see the Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, available at http//links.lww.com/JNPT/A324).
Rethinking our recruitment processes and infrastructure allowed for greater interprofessional interactions, minimal burden for our stroke physician team members, and maximized enrollment into our stroke studies.Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see the Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, available at http//links.lww.com/JNPT/A324).Professional burnout has reached epidemic levels among U.S. medical providers. One key driver is the burden of clinical documentation in the electronic health record, which has given rise to medical scribes. Despite the demonstrated benefits of scribes, many providers-especially those in academic health systems-have been unable to make an economic case for them. With the aim of creating a cost-effective scribe program in which premedical students gain skills that better position them for professional schooling, while providers at risk of burnout obtain documentation support, the authors launched the Clinical Observation and Medical Transcription (COMET) Program in June 2015 at Stanford University School of Medicine. COMET is a new type of postbaccalaureate premedical program that combines an apprenticeship-like scribing experience and a package of teaching, advising, application support, and mentored scholarship that is supported by student tuition. Driven by strong demand from both participants and faculty, the program grew rapidly during its first 5 years (2015-2020). Program evaluations indicated high levels of satisfaction among participants and faculty with their mentors and mentees, respectively; that participants felt the experience better positioned them for professional schooling; and that faculty reported improved joy of practice. In summary, tuition-supported medical scribe programs, like COMET, appear to be feasible and cost-effective. The COMET model may have the potential to help shape future health professions students, while simultaneously combating provider burnout. While scalability and generalizability remain uncertain, this model may be worth exploring at other institutions.
To explore what influences clinicians in selecting continuing medical education (CME) activities in the United States.
In August 2018, the authors conducted an Internet-based national survey, sampling 100 respondents from each of 5 groups family medicine physicians, internal medicine and hospitalist physicians, medicine specialist physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. In total, 1,895 clinicians were invited and 500 (26%) responded. Questions addressed the selection and anticipated use of CME delivery modalities and perceived characteristics of specific CME providers. Response formats used best-worst scaling or 5-point ordinal response options.
The factors identified as most important in selecting CME activities were topic (best-worst scaling net positivity 0.54), quality of content (0.51), availability of CME credit (0.43), and clinical practice focus (0.41), while referral frequency (-0.57) ranked lowest. The activities that the respondents anticipated using most in the future wereioners, and physician assistants are interested in using a variety of CME delivery modalities. Appealing features of online and live CME were different.Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are life-threatening clinical conditions predominantly arising from uncontrolled inflammatory reactions. It has been found that the administration of astaxanthin (AST) can exert protective effects against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI; however, the robust genetic signatures underlying LPS induction and AST treatment remain obscure. Here we performed a statistical meta-analysis of five publicly available gene expression datasets from LPS-induced ALI mouse models, conducted RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in response to LPS administration and AST treatment, and integrative analysis to determine robust genetic signatures associated with LPS-induced ALI onset and AST administration. Both the meta-analyses and our experimental data identified a total of 198 DEGs in response to LPS administration, and 11 core DEGs (Timp1, Ly6i, Cxcl13, Irf7, Cxcl5, Ccl7, Isg15, Saa3, Saa1, Tgtp1, and Gbp11) were identified to be associated with AST therapeutic effects. Further, the 11 core DEGs were verified by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC), and functional enrichment analysis revealed that these genes are primarily associated with neutrophils and chemokines. Collectively, these findings unearthed the robust genetic signatures underlying LPS administration and the molecular targets of AST for ameliorating ALI/ARDS which provide directions for further research.The tumor microenvironment is closely related to the progression and immune escape of tumor cells. Tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) and immune-related genes (IRGs) are indispensable components of the tumor microenvironment and have been demonstrated to be highly valuable in determining the prognosis of multiple cancers. To elucidate the prognostic value of TIICs and IRGs in gastric cancer, we conducted a comprehensive analysis focusing on the abundances of 22 types of TIICs and differentially expressed IRGs based on a dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The results showed that great composition differences in TIICs and immune cell subfractions were associated with survival outcomes in different stages. Additionally, 29 hub genes were characterized from 345 differentially expressed IRGs and found to be significantly associated with survival outcomes. Then, an independent prognostic indicator based on ten IRGs was successfully constructed after multivariate adjustment for some clinical parameters.