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Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk is higher among patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and specific subgroups, including the elderly, but little is known about the VTE risk of different generations of epidermal growth factor receptor–tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR‐TKIs) and whether the risk differs by demographic characteristics. This study aims to compare the risk of VTE (deep venous thromboembolism [DVT]; pulmonary embolism [PE]) between a third‐generation EGFR‐TKI and first/second‐generation EGFR‐TKIs and stratify VTE risk by sex, age, and race/ethnicity in third‐generation EGFR‐TKI users. Methods: Via the 2006–2019 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicare database, this retrospective cohort study included older patients (aged ≥65 years) with advanced NSCLC who initiated on a third‐generation EGFR‐TKI (n = 493) and first/second‐generation EGFR‐TKIs (n = 1036). We estimated the hazard ratio (HR) and its 95% confidence interval (95% CI) with the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: A third‐generation EGFR‐TKI had a significantly higher VTE risk than first/second‐generation EGFR‐TKIs (HR, 1.26 [95% CI, 1.01–1.57]; p =.037), with an elevated risk in males (HR, 2.16 [95% CI, 1.47–3.19]; p <.001), patients aged ≥75 years (HR, 1.38 [95% CI, 1.04–1.83]; p =.026), and non‐Hispanic Whites (HR, 1.46 [95% CI, 1.10–1.95]; p =.010). Males consistently showed a significantly higher risk of DVT (HR, 2.49 [95% CI, 1.29–4.80]; p =.007) and PE (HR, 2.00 [95% CI, 1.29–3.11]; p =.002). A significantly higher risk of DVT (HR, 1.54 [95% CI, 1.00–2.37]; p =.050) and PE (HR, 1.47 [95% CI, 1.06–2.05]; p =.021) was shown in patients aged ≥75 years and non‐Hispanic Whites, respectively. Among third‐generation EGFR‐TKI users, non‐Hispanic Whites had a significantly higher risk of VTE (HR, 2.04 [95% CI, 1.03–4.02]; p =.041) and PE (HR, 2.88 [95% CI, 1.24–6.70]; p =.014) than non‐Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islanders. Conclusions: Close monitoring of VTE events in high‐risk patients is essential to promote early diagnosis and treatment. In older patients with non–small cell lung cancer, those treated with osimertinib (a third‐generation epidermal growth factor receptor–tyrosine kinase inhibitor [EGFR‐TKI]) had a significantly higher risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) than those treated with traditional EGFR‐TKIs. The risk was elevated in patients who were male, aged ≥75 years, and non‐Hispanic White, which raises the need for close monitoring of VTE when using osimertinib. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long QT syndrome (LQTS) has been reported in older patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) following the use of osimertinib, the third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI). However, there have not been analytic epidemiology studies on this topic. We aimed to compare the risk of LQTS between osimertinib and first/second-generation EGFR-TKIs in older patients with advanced NSCLC. This retrospective observational study used the 2006–2019 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare data and included older patients with advanced NSCLC who were treated with either osimertinib or first/second-generation EGFR-TKIs during 2007–2017. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to balance the two groups with propensity scores estimated based on the patients' socioeconomic and clinical characteristics. Crude incidence rate (IR) and adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of the primary outcome, incident LQTS, were estimated. A total of 545 and 1,135 patients were included in the osimertinib and first/second-generation EGFR-TKI groups, which increased to 1,614 and 1,659, respectively, after IPTW. The osimertinib group had a higher IR of LQTS (2.62 per 100 person-years, 95% CI 2.03–3.38) compared to the first/second-generation EGFR-TKI group (1.33 per 100 person-years, 95% CI 0.92–1.92). After adjusting for covariates, the osimertinib group had a higher risk of LQTS than the first/second-generation EGFR-TKI group, with an HR of 1.94 (95% CI 1.23–3.08). The increased LQTS risk in the osimertinib group was even higher in females, whites and patients aged ≥ 75. Given the elevated risk of LQTS associated with osimertinib user, close monitoring for cardiac rhythm irregularities of high-risk patients following initiation of EGFR-TKI is recommended. Long QT syndrome (LQTS) indicates a disorder of heart beats with prolonged QT intervals. There have been reports of LQTS in older patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were treated with osimertinib, a third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI). We conducted a retrospective study using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database, including older patients aged ≥ 65 with advanced NSCLC who were treated with EGFR-TKIs. Our results show higher incidence of LQTS after using osimertinib than first/second-generation EGFR-TKIs. After adjusting for patients' characteristics that might have affected the incidence of LQTS, the risk of LQTS was significantly higher in osimertinib users than in earlier generation EGFR-TKI users. Females, whites, and patients aged ≥ 75 had an even higher risk of LQTS when treated with osimertinib. Close monitoring for cardiac rhythm irregularities in high-risk patients after osimertinib initiation is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The cardiovascular risk associated with the newer epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI), osimertinib, in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is being reported. While more than half of patients with NSCLC are aged 65 or older, whether the cardiovascular risk increases in older patients treated with osimertinib compared to traditional EGFR-TKIs has not been clearly identified. Objectives: We aimed to identify the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in older patients treated with osimertinib and traditional EGFR-TKIs, stratifying by sex, age, and race/ethnicity. Design: A retrospective cohort study. Methods: Using the 2006–2019 Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare, older patients with advanced NSCLC prescribed EGFR-TKIs were included. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of incident MACEs were calculated using Cox proportional hazard model. Results: Osimertinib had a significantly higher risk of heart failure (HF) [HR, 1.20 (95% CI, 1.01–1.42)] and a lower risk of angina [HR, 0.36 (95% CI, 0.20–0.64)] than first/second-generation EGFR-TKI. The risk of HF and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was significantly elevated in female [HR, 1.40 (95% CI, 1.13–1.73)] and male [HR, 1.98 (95% CI, 1.13–3.48)] subgroups, respectively, when used osimertinib than first/second-generation EGFR-TKIs. Within osimertinib users, the risk of HF was higher in patients aged ⩾75 (versus aged 65–74) [HR, 1.71 (95% CI, 1.07–2.71)], White patients (versus Asian/Pacific Islanders patients) [HR, 1.80 (95% CI, 1.04–3.12)]. The risk of AMI within osimertinib users was higher in White [HR, 3.23 (95% CI, 1.34–7.80)] and Black [HR, 5.63 (95% CI, 1.23–25.87)] than Asian/Pacific Islanders patients. Conclusion: Increased risk of HF was observed in patients who are female, White, and aged ⩾75 while male patients had a higher risk of AMI when treated with osimertinib than first/second-generation EGFR-TKIs. The in-depth examination of osimertinib-induced cardiotoxicity provides evidence for individualized cardiotoxicity surveillance, prevention, and treatment for osimertinib users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To describe the clinical profile of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) patients in a Texas integrated delivery network (IDN) and elucidate the local relationship between patient factors and the risk of advanced fibrosis. This observational, retrospective, cross-sectional study utilized existing data from the electronic health record at a large Texas IDN. Data was collected during the study period from 1 January 2019, to 1 March 2023. Patient characteristics, comorbidities, labs, and medication orders were collected from the most recent encounter in which a Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score could be calculated. Chi square tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were conducted to evaluate differences among the three fibrosis risk categories. Ordinal logistic regression was utilized to assess associations between select variables and a higher risk of advanced fibrosis. A total of 56,253 patients were included in the study. 34,839 (61.9%) were Low-Risk 15,578 (27.7%) were Intermediate-Risk, and 5,836 (10.4%) were High-Risk of advanced fibrosis. Results showed that up to 70.4% of patients within a risk group were obese. Only 49.5% of patients in the High-Risk group had at least one gastroenterologist or hepatologist visit. Males, Medicare patients, former smokers, and those with hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and chronic kidney disease were associated with a higher risk of advanced fibrosis. This study highlights the need for early screening and proactive management of metabolic risk factors for patients with NAFLD/NASH. The findings indicate a notable prevalence of obesity in the study population, a need for specialist referral for those at High-Risk of advanced fibrosis, and the importance of routine labs to evaluate metabolic factors. Primary care providers may be ideal providers to target these interventions and address this care need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) can lead to unplanned care in patients with cancer, which may affect their prognosis and survival. We aimed to compare the rates, timing, and length of stay of unplanned CVD readmission in hospitalized patients with and without cancer. Methods: This study used the 2017–2018 Nationwide Readmissions Database to identify adult hospitalized patients with and without cancer. The primary outcome was 180-day unplanned CVD readmission rates. CVD was defined based on a composite variable that included atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, cardiomegaly, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, peripheral artery disease, and stroke. For patients readmitted due to CVD, the timing between admissions (based on the mean number of days between index hospitalization and readmission) and length of stay were further identified. Results: After matching, 300,398 patients were included in the two groups. The composite CVD readmission rates were significantly higher in patients with cancer (5.92% vs 4.10%; odds ratio (OR) 1.47, 95% CI 1.44–1.51, p < 0.001). Patients with cancer were also associated with shorter mean number of days to composite CVD readmission (60.48 days vs 68.32 days, p < 0.001) and longer length of stay of composite CVD readmission (8.21 days vs 7.13 days, p < 0.001). These trends were maintained in analyses of the individual CVD. Conclusions: Hospitalized patients with cancer experienced higher rates of unplanned readmission due to CVD, and their CVD readmissions occurred sooner and required longer lengths of stay compared to patients without cancer. Efforts to reduce unplanned CVD readmissions, such as providing optimized chronic post-discharge care, may improve the health outcomes of patients with cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined factors associated with the mental health of Medicare beneficiaries during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey COVID-19 Supplement administered in the Fall of 2020 of beneficiaries aged ≥65 years was analyzed (n = 6,173). A survey-weighted logistic model, adjusted for socio-demographics and comorbidities, was performed to examine factors (e.g., accessibility of medical/daily needs, financial security, and social connectivity) associated with stress/anxiety. Of Medicare beneficiaries, 40.8% reported feeling more stressed/anxious during the pandemic. Factors that were associated with this increased stress/anxiety include the inability to get home supplies (95% CI [3.4%, 16.5%]) or a doctor's appointment (95% CI [1.7%, 20.7%]), feeling less financially secure (95% CI [23.1%, 33.2%]) or socially connected (95% CI [19.1%, 25.6%]), and being female (95% CI [7.2%, 12.2%]), when compared with their respective counterparts. Non-Hispanic blacks were less likely to report feeling more stressed/anxious than non-Hispanic whites (95% CI [−19.9%, −9.0%]). Our findings highlight that beneficiaries' mental health was adversely influenced by the pandemic, particularly in those who felt financially insecure and socially disconnected. It is warranted to screen at risk beneficiaries for stress/anxiety during Medicare wellness visits and advocate for programs to reduce those risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale, Aims, and Objectives: The prevalence of patients hospitalized with comorbid prostate cancer (PC) and heart failure (HF) has been steadily increasing. Both diseases share a set of common risk factors, with the most prominent being age. This study aimed to examine the outcomes and costs for patients with comorbid PC and HF, stratified by age. Methods: We analyzed 41,340 hospitalization events of patients with PC using the US National Inpatient Sample from 2015 to 2018. Associations of HF with in‐hospital mortality, length of stay (LOS), and hospital costs per hospitalization were measured using multivariable logistic regression, negative binomial regression, and generalized linear regression with log‐link and gamma distribution, respectively, controlling for covariates. Subgroup analyses were performed for age groups <65 and ≥65. Results: Visits of comorbid HF patients made up 2.3% (n = 952) of the PC study sample. Compared with PC patients without HF, those with HF had higher in‐hospital mortality rates (odds ratio = 1.33, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.96–1.84, p = 0.085), longer hospital stays (incidence rate ratio = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.21–1.44, p < 0.001), and higher hospital costs (cost ratio = 1.17, 95% CI = 1.07–1.27, p = 0.001), controlling for covariates. On average, this amounted to a higher in‐hospital mortality rate of 2.10%, an increased LOS of 1.73 days, and higher hospital costs of $2110 per patient. While in‐hospital mortality did not differ significantly in patients aged <65 (p = 0.900), patients aged ≥65 had a 41% increased risk of in‐hospital mortality compared with those without HF (p = 0.047). Conclusions: In comparison to those without HF, PC patients with comorbid HF showed higher rates of in‐hospital mortality, LOS, and hospital costs, with mortality showing a significant difference exclusively in the ≥65 population. Effective management of older patients with PC is needed to improve outcomes and decrease costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this systematic review is to summarize the use of machine learning (ML) in predicting overall survival (OS) in patients with bladder cancer. Search terms for bladder cancer, ML algorithms, and mortality were used to identify studies in PubMed and Web of Science as of February 2022. Notable inclusion/exclusion criteria contained the inclusion of studies that utilized patient-level datasets and exclusion of primary gene expression-related dataset studies. Study quality and bias were assessed using the International Journal of Medical Informatics (IJMEDI) checklist. Of the 14 included studies, the most common algorithms were artificial neural networks (n = 8) and logistic regression (n = 4). Nine articles described missing data handling, with five articles removing patients with missing data entirely. With respect to feature selection, the most common sociodemographic variables were age (n = 9), gender (n = 9), and smoking status (n = 3), with clinical variables most commonly including tumor stage (n = 8), grade (n = 7), and lymph node involvement (n = 6). Most studies (n = 10) were of medium IJMEDI quality, with common areas of improvement being the descriptions of data preparation and deployment. ML holds promise for optimizing bladder cancer care through accurate OS predictions, but challenges related to data processing, feature selection, and data source quality must be resolved to develop robust models. While this review is limited by its inability to compare models across studies, this systematic review will inform decision-making by various stakeholders to improve understanding of ML-based OS prediction in bladder cancer and foster interpretability of future models. An analysis type known as machine learning has recently become popular to predict survival in bladder cancer patients. However, there is debate on how to best use this method, as well as how to report the results of studies. This review looks at recently published machine learning studies, comparing various model details. Most studies found used hospital data, were clear about model factors, and used a model type called artificial neural networks. While these studies may be better at prediction compared to previous methods, there are consistency and clarity issues. Future studies should ensure that models are explainable and relevant to healthcare leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-canonical microRNAs are a recently-discovered subset of microRNAs. They structurally and functionally resemble canonical miRNAs, but were found to follow distinct maturation pathways, typically bypassing one or more steps of the classic canonical biogenesis pathway. Non-canonical miRNAs were found to have diverse origins, including introns, snoRNAs, endogenous shRNAs and tRNAs. Our knowledge about their functions remains relatively primitive; however, many interesting discoveries have taken place in the past few years. They have been found to take part in several cellular processes, such as immune response and stem cell proliferation. Adversely, their deregulation has pathologic effects on several different tissues, which strongly suggests an integral role for non-canonical miRNAs in disease pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss the recently-discovered functional characteristics of non-canonical miRNAs and illustrate their principal maturation pathways as well as debating their potential role in multiple cellular processes.

Due to the influence types of telehealth services (i.e., phone and/or video) can have on patient care and outcomes, we sought to examine factors associated with the types of telehealth services offered and used among Medicare beneficiaries. We analyzed the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey COVID-19 Public Use File (N = 1,403 and N = 2,218 for individuals with and without diabetes, respectively) and performed multinomial logit models to examine factors (e.g., sociodemographics, comorbidities, digital access/knowledge) associated with types of telehealth services offered and used among beneficiaries aged ≥65 years by diabetes status. Medicare beneficiaries seemed to prefer using telehealth via phone than video. Regardless of diabetes status, having not previously participated in video or voice calls or conferencing can be a barrier to telehealth being offered and used via video for beneficiaries. For older adults with diabetes, disparities in accessibility of telehealth via video by income and languages spoken other than English were observed. [Research in Gerontological Nursing, 16(3), 134–146.] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keeping both the chemical and physical state of the electrode–electrolyte interface intact is one of the greatest challenges in achieving solid‐state batteries (SSBs) with longer cycle lives. Herein, the use of organic electrolyte additives in the cathode electrolyte interphase (CEI) layer to mitigate the intertwined chemical and mechanical degradation in sulfide‐based SSBs is demonstrated. Lithium difluorobis(oxalato)phosphate (LiDFBOP) and argyrodite (Li6PS5Cl) are used as a model system, with the LiDFBOP‐derived CEI layer induced by irreversible oxidation above 4.12 V (vs Li+/Li) during the formation cycle exhibiting dual functions. This CEI layer retards the rate of chemical degradation between the cathode active particles and solid electrolytes at high charging potential and helps maintain intimate physical contact even at a low stack pressure of 0.75 MPa. The improved physical contact enables delivery of a high initial capacity, while chemical stability suppressing the sulfite or sulfate formation has a more dominant effect on the long‐term cycle stability. This study presents a new perspective and strategies for designing cathode coating materials for sulfide‐based SSBs beyond the typically used inorganic oxide materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale, Aims, and Objectives: This study aims to investigate how reported comprehension of the Medicare programme and its prescription drug benefits is associated with cost‐related medication nonadherence (CRN) among Medicare beneficiaries with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. Methods: This cross‐sectional study used the 2017 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey Public Use File data and included Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 years who reported having at least one CVD risk factor (i.e., hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, smoking and obesity) (n = 2821). A survey‐weighted logistic model was used to examine associations between perceived difficulty of understanding the Medicare programme and its prescription drug benefits and CRN, controlling for beneficiaries' demographic (e.g., age) and clinical characteristics (e.g, comorbidities). This study further analyzed five subgroups based on the type of CVD risk factors involved. Results: Among Medicare beneficiaries with CVD risk factors, 14.4% reported CRN. Medicare beneficiaries with CVD risk factors who reported difficulty understanding the overall Medicare programme and its prescription drug benefits were more likely to report CRN, compared to those who reported easy understanding of the overall Medicare programme (OR = 1.50; 95% CI = 1.11−2.04; p = 0.009) and its prescription drug benefits (OR = 2.01; 95% CI = 1.52−2.66; p < 0.001). Similar results were obtained for the subgroups with obesity, hypertension or hyperlipidemia. Conclusions: Perceived difficulty of understanding the Medicare Programme and its prescription drug benefits is associated with CRN among Medicare beneficiaries with CVD risk factors, especially those with obesity, hypertension or hyperlipidemia. Monitoring and enhancing Medicare beneficiaries' overall understanding of the Medicare programme may reduce CRN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The removal of regulatory and reimbursement barriers during the COVID‐19 pandemic in the United States presented opportunities to explore the potential of telehealth to improve access to and use of healthcare among underserved populations. Therefore, we examined factors associated with accessibility and utilisation of telehealth among older adults during the COVID‐19 pandemic. We analysed the nationally representative Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey COVID‐19 Supplement File of community‐dwelling Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 years (n = 5,189), administered from 5 October 2020, through 15 November 2020. Two survey‐weighted multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the association between factors (i.e., socio‐demographics, co‐morbidities and digital access/literacy) and whether (1) beneficiaries' regular providers offered telehealth during the COVID‐19 pandemic, and (2) those being offered telehealth used it. Furthermore, subgroup analyses by residing area and income status were conducted. Of study beneficiaries, 83.6% reported their regular providers offered telehealth during COVID‐19. Disparities in accessibility of telehealth by sociodemographic status were observed [e.g., those living in a non‐metro area (versus metro) were 7.1% (marginal effect [ME] = −7.1%; p < 0.01) less likely to report accessibility of telehealth]. Beneficiaries who had no access to internet (ME = −8.2%; p < 0.001) and had not participated in video/voice calls/conferencing prior (versus participated) (ME = −6.6%; p < 0.001) were less likely to report having access to telehealth. Among those being offered telehealth services, 43.0% reported using telehealth services. Hispanic and Non‐Hispanic Black beneficiaries (e.g., Black versus White; ME = 11.3%; p < 0.01) and those with co‐morbidities (versus 0–1 condition) (e.g., 2–3 co‐morbidities, ME = 7.3%; p < 0.01) were more likely to report using telehealth services when offered. Similar results were observed in the subgroup analyses regarding disparities in accessibility and utilisation of telehealth. The accessibility and utilisation of telehealth have increased amidst the pandemic; however, disparities in accessibility of telehealth were observed. A telehealth triage protocol is needed to ensure underserved patients continue to receive appropriate care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medication nonadherence among older patients with cancer can have profound health consequences. This study examines the association between prescription drug coverage satisfaction and medication nonadherence among Medicare beneficiaries with cancer. We analyzed the 2017 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey Public Use File of beneficiaries aged ≥65 years with reported non-skin cancer (n = 806). Beneficiaries were considered to have medication nonadherence if they reported: skipping doses, taking smaller doses than prescribed, or delaying or not filling a prescription because of cost. A survey-weighted logistic model, adjusted for covariates, was conducted to examine the association between prescription drug coverage satisfaction and medication nonadherence. Of study beneficiaries with cancer, 14.7% reported medication nonadherence. Higher proportions of beneficiaries with medication nonadherence were dissatisfied with the amount paid for medications (33.2% vs. 11.0%, p < 0.001) and the medications included on formulary (29.5% vs 5.2%, p < 0.001). In the adjusted analysis, the risk for medication nonadherence was higher among those who were dissatisfied with the amount paid for medications (OR = 2.22; p = 0.050) and the medications included on formulary (OR = 5.03; p = 0.005). Strategic mitigation of these barriers is essential to improving health outcomes in this at-risk population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The public relies on various media sources and communication platforms for receipt of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) information. Therefore, identifying the primary sources of COVID-19 information among older adults can be valuable, as it can enable information on life-saving measures to be effectively disseminated to this population. Methods We analyzed the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey COVID-19 Supplement that was administrated from June 2020 through July 2020 (n = 8,050). A survey-weighted logistic model was conducted to examine the association between the sources of COVID-19 information Medicare beneficiaries most relied on (i.e. traditional news sources, social media, comments/guidance from government officials, other webpages/internet, friends/family members, and health care providers) and engaging in all 3 recommended preventive behaviors (i.e. mask wearing, social distancing, and handwashing). Results Among study participants, 89.8% engaged in all 3 recommended preventive behaviors. Approximately 59.3% of beneficiaries reported that they most relied upon traditional news sources for COVID-19 information; 11.4% reported health care providers; 10.6% reported comments/guidance from government officials; 8.8% reported other webpages/internet; 8.6% reported friends/family members; and 1.3% reported they relied upon social media. Beneficiaries who relied on comments/guidance from government officials for COVID-19 information (vs. traditional news sources) were more likely to engage in preventive behaviors (odds ratio [OR] = 1.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.20–2.35). However, those who relied on COVID-19 information from friends/family members (vs. traditional news sources) were less likely to engage in preventive behaviors (OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.44–0.73). Discussion Our findings can inform decision making about the effective communication sources to reach Medicare beneficiaries for public health messaging regarding preventive measures, including COVID-19 vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer and heart failure (HF) are frequently interconnected due to shared risk factors and the cardiotoxicity of breast cancer treatment. However, the association between HF and hospital outcomes among breast cancer patients has not been studied. This study examined the association between HF and hospital outcomes among hospitalized patients with breast cancer. This cross-sectional study using the 2015–2018 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project–National Inpatient Sample data included hospitalized women who were aged 18 years or older and had a primary diagnosis code for breast cancer. Logistic regression, negative binomial regression, and generalized linear models with log-link and gamma distribution were used to assess the associations of HF with in-hospital mortality, length of stay (LOS) and hospital costs. Among 17,335 hospitalized patients with breast cancer, 4.2% (n = 1021) had HF. Compared to breast cancer patients without HF, those with HF were more likely to die during hospitalization (odds ratio = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.27–2.16, p <.001), stay in the hospital longer (incidence rate ratio = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.15–1.30, p <.001) and have higher hospital costs (cost ratio = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.03–1.14, p =.003) during hospitalization, controlling for covariates. HF has a substantial negative impact on health outcomes among hospitalized breast cancer patients. Breast cancer and HF are often considered separate medical conditions, but promoting effective management of comorbid HF in breast cancer patients may help to improve hospital outcomes in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing photochromic systems that exhibit tunable print/erase responses is seldom studied but critical to the implementation of rewritable paper. Previous systems printed information with photocatalysts limited to specific wavelengths and light sources and rarely considered how polymers used in film formation affect erasing of information. Herein, different visible/UV light responses are achieved by engineering the formation of oxygen vacancy defects in titanium dioxide/reduced graphene oxide composite photocatalysts. Defects are manipulated during synthesis by controlling the water concentration in a mixed solvent system, which leads to tunable photochromic response of redox dyes. Furthermore, because the accessibility of ambient oxygen directly impacts the kinetics of recoloration, tailoring the oxygen barrier properties of polyvinyl alcohol via modulating inherent polymer structure as well as the external environment, the recoloration can be further tuned to meet various application purposes. The resulting insight will assist fellow researchers in tailoring defects in photocatalyst systems for superior functional design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with renal cancer are at increased risk of comorbid congestive heart failure (CHF) due to several shared risk factors and the cardiotoxicity of some medications used for renal cancer treatment. We aimed to examine the relationship between CHF and hospital outcomes among renal cancer patients in the U.S.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we identified hospitalizations of renal cancer patients using the 2015-2017 National Inpatient Sample. We assessed the relationship between CHF and hospital outcomes in this patient population, including in-hospital mortality, length-of-stay (LoS), and hospital costs.Results: Among the 20,321 hospitalizations of renal cancer patients identified, 6.1% involved patients with comorbid CHF (n = 1,231). The odds of in-hospital mortality did not differ based on CHF presence (odds ratio = 1.21; p = 0.354). Hospitalizations of renal cancer patients with CHF were associated with a greater LoS (incidence rate ratio = 1.44; p < 0.001) and higher hospital costs (cost ratio = 1.27; p < 0.001) than those without CHF.Conclusions: CHF in renal cancer patients is associated with increased LoS and higher hospital costs. These findings suggest that optimal management of comorbid CHF may improve hospital outcomes in patients with renal cancer and provides evidence to support the emerging field of cardio-oncology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]