Enhancing Surgical Task Adherence Through a Rewards-Driven Mobile Application: A Single-Arm Intervention Feasibility Study

Introduction: Ensuring patients follow preoperative and postoperative instructions is vital for maximizing surgical success. This pilot study investigates the feasibility of using monetary incentives through a nudge engine application-based model of omnichannel communication to prompt adherence to preoperative and postoperative instructions. Methods: Over a six-month period, we conducted a longitudinal study employing the TheraPay® Rewards app at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, United States. Our recruitment efforts targeted English and Spanish-speaking patients with smartphones through in-person visits and phone calls. Participants received a $15 credit on a gift card for each completed task. The tasks included preoperative validations such as obtaining primary care physician clearance, completing preoperative assessments, undergoing preoperative scans with accompanying compact disks (CDs), and discontinuing specific medications. Postoperative validations included attending postoperative visits, proper incision care, discontinuation of narcotics at three weeks, and initiation of the first physical therapy session. Results: We enrolled 16 patients with a mean age of 59.5 years (SD 11.68), the majority being male (n = 10, 62.5%). Preoperatively, task completion rates ranged from 83% to 100%. Postoperatively, rates varied from 20% to 100%. Preoperative task adherence averaged at 98.7% (SD 2.2%), while postoperative adherence averaged 60% (SD 21%). Conclusion: Our study indicates that financial incentives delivered through a gamified approach effectively encourage patients to complete essential preoperative tasks, suggesting a promise for enhancing adherence. Nonetheless, the decrease in postoperative task adherence highlights the necessity for careful implementation. Future investigations should compare cancellation rates and outcome measures to gain deeper insights into the effectiveness of app-based incentives in improving surgical outcomes and patient adherence.VoRSUNY DownstateMedicineN/

Hemangiopericytomas of the spine: case report and review of the literature

We describe a rare case of a primary intracranial meningeal hemangiopericytoma (HPC) with late metastasis to the cervical spine. A 36-year-old woman had a left occipital lesion that was histopathologically identified as HPC. Fourteen years after resection, the tumor recurred and was treated with radiotherapy. Three years later, CT imaging showed a large mass in the liver consistent with metastatic HPC, and MRI of the cervical spine showed an extensive lesion of the C3 vertebral body. The patient underwent C3 corpectomy with en-bloc tumor removal and follow-up radiation with no local recurrence or other spinal metastasis for the following 4 years. Regardless of the subtype of spinal HPC, complete surgical removal and radiotherapy appear to be treatment of choice

Nonviral Approaches for Neuronal Delivery of Nucleic Acids

The delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids to neurons has the potential to treat neurological disease and spinal cord injury. While select viral vectors have shown promise as gene carriers to neurons, their potential as therapeutic agents is limited by their toxicity and immunogenicity, their broad tropism, and the cost of large-scale formulation. Nonviral vectors are an attractive alternative in that they offer improved safety profiles compared to viruses, are less expensive to produce, and can be targeted to specific neuronal subpopulations. However, most nonviral vectors suffer from significantly lower transfection efficiencies than neurotropic viruses, severely limiting their utility in neuron-targeted delivery applications. To realize the potential of nonviral delivery technology in neurons, vectors must be designed to overcome a series of extra- and intracellular barriers. In this article, we describe the challenges preventing successful nonviral delivery of nucleic acids to neurons and review strategies aimed at overcoming these challenges

Mouvement de l'eau dans le sol (Suite).

Betchen G. Mouvement de l'eau dans le sol (Suite).. In: Revue de botanique appliquée et d'agriculture coloniale, 12ᵉ année, bulletin n°128, avril 1932. pp. 291-295

Mouvement de l'Eau dans le sol.

Betchen G. Mouvement de l'Eau dans le sol.. In: Revue de botanique appliquée et d'agriculture coloniale, 12ᵉ année, bulletin n°127, mars 1932. pp. 180-188

Mouvement de l'eau dans le sol (Fin).

Betchen G. Mouvement de l'eau dans le sol (Fin).. In: Revue de botanique appliquée et d'agriculture coloniale, 12ᵉ année, bulletin n°129, mai 1932. pp. 358-372