The Feasibility and Benefits of a Virtual Yoga Practice for Stroke Survivors With Aphasia.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to (a) examine the feasibility of a virtual, adapted, aphasia-friendly yoga program for people with aphasia; (b) evaluate evidence of improvement in patient-reported outcomes and word retrieval; (c) explore the immediate impact of a yoga session on participant subjective emotional state; and (d) assess participant motivation and perceived benefits of participating in a yoga program.

Method: This feasibility study employed a mixed-method design to document the feasibility of a virtual, 8-week adapted yoga program. A pre-/posttreatment design was used to assess patient-reported outcome measures for resilience, stress, sleep, and pain, as well as word-finding abilities.

Reimagining Learning Spaces of the Future: An Interprofessional, Virtual Workshop Utilizing Rapid Idea Generation and Lean Startup Methodologies.

Introduction: The needs and expectations of health professional educators and learners are evolving. Therefore, physical and virtual learning environments will look and function differently in the future. Understanding desirable, feasible options for educators and learners, including online, in-person, hybrid, and extended realities, is critical.

Scholarly Productivity Evaluation of KL2 Scholars Using Bibliometrics and Federal Follow-on Funding: Cross-Institution Study.

Background: Evaluating outcomes of the clinical and translational research (CTR) training of a Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) hub (eg, the KL2 program) requires the selection of reliable, accessible, and standardized measures. As measures of scholarly success usually focus on publication output and extramural funding, CTSA hubs have started to use bibliometrics to evaluate the impact of their supported scholarly activities. However, the evaluation of KL2 programs across CTSAs is limited, and the use of bibliometrics and follow-on funding is minimal.

Effects of acute normovolemic hemodilution on post-cardiopulmonary bypass coagulation tests and allogeneic blood transfusion in thoracic aortic repair surgery: An observational cohort study.

Background And Aim: Perioperative blood transfusion is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Acute normovolemic hemodilution (ANH) is a blood conservation strategy associated with variable success, and rarely studied in more complex cardiac procedures. The study aim was to evaluate whether ANH improves coagulopathy and reduces blood transfusions in thoracic aortic surgeries.

Translating innovation in biomedical research: Design and delivery of a competency-based regulatory science course.

As the pace of biomedical innovation rapidly evolves, there is a need to train researchers to understand regulatory science challenges associated with clinical translation. We describe a pilot course aimed at addressing this need delivered jointly through the Mayo Clinic Center for Clinical and Translational Science and the Yale-Mayo Center for Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation. Course design was informed by the Association for Clinical and Translational Science's Regulatory Science Working Group's competencies.

Design and Computational Validation of a Novel Bioreactor for Conditioning Vascular Tissue to Time-Varying Multidirectional Fluid Shear Stress.

Purpose: The cardiovascular endothelium experiences pulsatile and multidirectional fluid wall shear stress (WSS). While the effects of non-physiologic WSS magnitude and pulsatility on cardiovascular function have been studied extensively, the impact of directional abnormalities remains unknown due to the challenge to replicate this characteristic in vitro. To address this gap, this study aimed at designing a bioreactor capable of subjecting cardiovascular tissue to time-varying WSS magnitude and directionality.

A matched cohort examination of publication rates among clinical subspecialty fellows enrolled in a translational science training program.

Purpose: This study examined the effectiveness of a formal postdoctoral education program designed to teach skills in clinical and translational science, using scholar publication rates as a measure of research productivity.

Method: Participants included 70 clinical fellows who were admitted to a master's or certificate training program in clinical and translational science from 1999 to 2015 and 70 matched control peers. The primary outcomes were the number of publications 5 years post-fellowship matriculation and time to publishing 15 peer-reviewed manuscripts post-matriculation.

An Academic Medical Center's Learners' Perceptions of Health Disparities.

Introduction: Lack of health equity ultimately leads to unequal treatment of diverse patients and contributes to the growing disparities seen in national health. Academic medical centers should consider providing health care providers and biomedical researchers training on how to identify and address health disparities.

Methods: The authors led an introductory health disparities course for graduate students and research and clinical fellows at an academic medical center in the Midwest.

Bacterial and Infections in the Lungs of Gene-Knockout Rabbits with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency.

Using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology, we recently produced a number of rabbits with mutations in immune function genes, including FOXN1, PRKDC, RAG1, RAG2, and IL2RG. Seven founder knockout rabbits (F0) and three male IL2RG null (-/y) F1 animals demonstrated severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), characterized by absence or pronounced hypoplasia of the thymus and splenic white pulp, and absence of immature and mature T and B-lymphocytes in peripheral blood. Complete blood count analysis showed severe leukopenia and lymphocytopenia accompanied by severe neutrophilia.

Lipoprotein interactions with a polyurethane and a polyethylene oxide-modified polyurethane at the plasma-material interface.

Lipoproteins [high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL)] are present in blood in relatively high concentrations, and, given their importance in cardiovascular disease, the interactions of these species with blood contacting biomaterials and their possible role in thrombogenesis is of interest. In the present communication, quantitative data on the adsorption of apolipoprotein AI, apolipoprotein AII (the main protein components of HDL), and apolipoprotein B (the main protein component of LDL and VLDL), as well as the lipoproteins themselves from plasma to a biomedical grade polyurethane (PU) with and without a copolymer additive that contains polyethylene oxide (PEO) segments, were investigated. Adsorption from some binary solutions was also studied.

Interactions of Apolipoproteins AI, AII, B and HDL, LDL, VLDL with Polyurethane and Polyurethane-PEO Surfaces.

The lipoproteins (HDL, LDL, VLDL) are important components of blood present in high concentration. Surprisingly, their role in blood-biomaterial interactions has been largely ignored. In previous work apolipoprotein AI (the main protein component of HDL) was identified as a major constituent of protein layers adsorbed from plasma to biomaterials having a wide range of surface properties, and quantitative data on the adsorption of apo AI to a biomedical grade polyurethane were reported.

Intersex related gene expression profiles in clams Scrobicularia plana: Molecular markers and environmental application.

Intersex, the appearance of female characteristics in male gonads, has been identified in several aquatic species. It is a widespread phenomenon in populations of the bivalve, Scrobicularia plana, from the southwest coast of the U.K.

The safety of propofol sedation for elective nonintubated esophagogastroduodenoscopy in pediatric patients.

Objectives: To evaluate the safety of deep sedation provided by pediatric intensivists for elective nonintubated esophagogastroduodenoscopy.

Design: Retrospective observational study.

Setting: The sedation program at the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.

Antegrade thoracic stent grafting during repair of acute DeBakey I dissection prevents development of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms.

Background: Acute DeBakey I dissection repair consists of ascending aortic resection, aortic root repair or replacement, and variable aortic arch replacement. This "proximal" strategy leaves most patients with a patent residual "type B" dissection which leads to greater than 30% distal "open" reoperations for dissecting aneurysm. This report tests whether antegrade stent-grafting of the proximal descending thoracic aorta during acute DeBakey I dissection decreases future distal aortic aneurysms without an increase in surgical risk.

Novel bone cancer drugs: investigational agents and control paradigms for primary bone sarcomas (Ewing's sarcoma and osteosarcoma).

Background: New investigational agents and chemotherapy regimens including cyclophosphamide + topotecan, temozolomide + irinotecan, and anti-IGF-1R antibodies in Ewing's sarcoma (ES) and liposomal muramyltripeptide phosphatidylethanolamine (L-MTP-PE), aerosol therapy, and bone-specific agents in osteosarcoma (OS) may improve survival and/or quality of life on 'continuation' therapy.

Objective: Review of investigational approaches and control paradigms for recurrent or metastatic primary bone tumors.

Methods: Analyze temozolomide + irinotecan data and review in the context of other newer approaches including antiangiogenesis, anti-IGF-1R antibodies and bisphosphonates for ES.

Results of a new surgical paradigm: endovascular repair for acute complicated type B aortic dissection.

Background: Conventional open repair of acute complicated type B aortic dissection is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. This study examined the results of thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in acute type B aortic dissection complicated with rupture or malperfusion syndrome.

Methods: From 2004 through 2007, 35 patients (22 men) with acute complicated type B aortic dissection were treated with TEVAR.

Reoperative aortic root replacement in patients with previous aortic surgery.

Background: Reoperative aortic root reconstruction is increasingly performed and remains a clinical challenge. The aim of this study is to evaluate the outcome of patients undergoing reoperative aortic root replacement after previous aortic surgery.

Methods: From 1995 to 2006, 156 consecutive patients underwent reoperative aortic root replacement after previous aortic valve replacement (group 1, n = 106, 67.

Thoracic aortic stent grafting: improving results with newer generation investigational devices.

Objective: Six years ago an endovascular program for repair of descending thoracic aneurysms was established at the University of Pennsylvania. We report on the hypothesis that results are improving with new stent design iterations and describe our experience and lessons learned.

Methods: From April 1999 to March 2005, 99 patients with descending thoracic aneurysms underwent repair with a first or second-generation commercially produced endograft; 24 patients had an early-generation device, and 75 patients had a late-generation device.

PKC isoforms were reduced by lead in the developing rat brain.

A plethora of protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms play important roles in regulating synaptic plasticity and neurotransmitter release. Even though, most PKC isoforms are involved in Pb-induced neuronal toxicity, its mechanism is still unclear. The current study addresses the effect of Pb on PKC isoforms in different regions of the developing rat brain.

The suppressive effects of intraperitoneal cocaine are augmented when evaluated in nondeprived rats.

Rats suppress intake of a saccharin conditioned stimulus (CS) when paired with all drugs of abuse tested including morphine, cocaine, heroin, amphetamine, and ethanol. Although most of these drugs suppress intake when administered via a range of routes, the efficacy of cocaine is an exception. Specifically, cocaine-induced suppression of saccharin intake is much greater when administered subcutaneously than when administered intraperitoneally.