Publications by authors named "Annie R Abruzzo"
Reverse double switch operation for the borderline left ventricle.
J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg
August 2024
Article Synopsis
- - This study examines the effectiveness of the reverse double switch operation (R-DSO) and ventricular switch for treating children with D-looped borderline left hearts, using the right ventricle for systemic circulation.
- - Researchers analyzed outcomes of 28 patients who underwent these procedures between 2015 and 2023, focusing on right ventricular function, tricuspid regurgitation, and other complications; notably, there were no deaths or heart transplants after the operations.
- - The findings suggest that while the R-DSO/ventricular switch may be a viable alternative to traditional treatments, there are concerns about right ventricular function and the need for ongoing patient monitoring, especially in those with pre-existing RV dysfunction. *
Article Synopsis
- The study highlights the importance of imaging stewardship in emergency departments, focusing on a new survey spine MR imaging protocol aimed at suspected cord compression (CC) while minimizing unnecessary imaging.* -
- Over 2000 patients were analyzed from 2018 to 2022, with a 14.2% positivity rate for CC among those examined; the protocol was significantly faster, averaging about 5 minutes and 50 seconds.* -
- Key symptoms related to CC included trauma and various neurological issues, with most patients requiring surgical or medical management based on their findings.*
Among the many oral streptococci, Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn) stands out for the capacity of encapsulated strains to cause invasive infection. Spread beyond upper airways, however, is a biological dead end for the organism, raising the question of the benefits of expending energy to coat its surface in a thick layer of capsular polysaccharide (CPS). In this study, we compare mutants of two serotypes expressing different amounts of CPS and test these in murine models of colonization, invasion infection and transmission.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Recent prospective trials have demonstrated the noninferiority of segmentectomy to lobectomy in the surgical management of early non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It remains unknown, however, whether segmentectomy is sufficient for treating small tumors with visceral pleural invasion (VPI), a known indicator of aggressive disease biology and poor prognosis in NSCLC.
Methods: Patients in the National Cancer Database (2010-2020) with cT1a-bN0M0 NSCLC and VPI and additional high-risk features who underwent segmentectomy or lobectomy were identified for analysis.
Successful colonization of a host requires bacterial adaptation through genetic and population changes that are incompletely defined. Using chromosomal barcoding and high-throughput sequencing, we investigate the population dynamics of Streptococcus pneumoniae during infant mouse colonization. Within 1 day post inoculation, diversity was reduced >35-fold with expansion of a single clonal lineage.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCapsule-switch mutants were compared to analyze how serotype affects the success of Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn) during colonization and transmission. Strains of multiple serotypes were tested in highly susceptible infant mice, both singly and in competitive assays. Our findings demonstrated a role of serotype, apart from genetic background, in competitive success of strains, but this depended on timing postinoculation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVaccines targeting Streptococcus pneumoniae (Spn) are limited by dependence on capsular polysaccharide and its serotype diversity. More broadly-based approaches using common protein antigens have not resulted in a licensed vaccine. Herein, we used an unbiased, genome-wide approach to find novel vaccine antigens to disrupt carriage modeled in mice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF