Differential Mitochondrial Bioenergetics in Neurons and Astrocytes Following Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury and Hypothermia.

The close interaction between neurons and astrocytes has been extensively studied. However, the specific behavior of these cells after ischemia-reperfusion injury and hypothermia remains poorly characterized. A growing body of evidence suggests that mitochondria function and putative transference between neurons and astrocytes may play a fundamental role in adaptive and homeostatic responses after systemic insults such as cardiac arrest, which highlights the importance of a better understanding of how neurons and astrocytes behave individually in these settings.

Low respiratory quotient correlates with high mortality in patients undergoing mechanical ventilation.

Objective: Oxygen consumption (VO), carbon dioxide generation (VCO), and respiratory quotient (RQ), which is the ratio of VO to VCO, are critical indicators of human metabolism. To seek a link between the patient's metabolism and pathophysiology of critical illness, we investigated the correlation of these values with mortality in critical care patients.

Methods: This was a prospective, observational study conducted at a suburban, quaternary care teaching hospital.

Continuous and repeat metabolic measurements compared between post-cardiothoracic surgery and critical care patients.

Objective: Using a system, which accuracy is equivalent to the gold standard Douglas Bag (DB) technique for measuring oxygen consumption (VO), carbon dioxide generation (VCO), and respiratory quotient (RQ), we aimed to continuously measure these metabolic indicators and compare the values between post-cardiothoracic surgery and critical care patients.

Methods: This was a prospective, observational study conducted at a suburban, quaternary care teaching hospital. Age 18 years or older patients who underwent mechanical ventilation were enrolled.

Intracranial Hypertension following Acute Mesenteric Ischemia: A Case Study on the Multiple Compartment Syndrome.

In this case study, we describe a 25-year-old male who was admitted due to a severe traumatic brain injury, requiring invasive intracranial pressure monitoring. At 48 hours posttrauma, he developed intracranial hypertension refractory to medical treatment without tomographic changes in the brain. Subsequently, intra-abdominal hypertension and tomographic signs of abdominal surgical pathology were observed.

Randomized intervention to assess the effectiveness of an educational video on organ donation intent among Hispanics in the New York metropolitan area.

Background: The Hispanic community has a high demand for organ donation but a shortage of donors. Studies investigating factors that could promote or hinder organ donation have examined emotional video interventions. Factors acting as barriers to organ donation registration have been classified as: (1) Bodily integrity; (2) medical mistrust; (3) "ick"-feelings of disgust towards organ donation; and (4) "jinx"-fear that registration may result in one dying due to premeditated plans.

Homelessness, organ donation, transplantation, and a call for equity in the United States.

While social justice is a pillar that society seeks to uphold, in the area of organ transplantation, social justice, equity, and inclusion fail in the unbefriended and undomiciled population. Due to lack of social support of the homeless population, such status often renders these individuals ineligible to be organ recipients. Though it can be argued that organ donation by an unbefriended, undomciled patient benefits the greater good, there is clear inequity in the fact that homeless individuals are denied transplants due to inadequate social support.

Multi-Drug Cocktail Therapy Improves Survival and Neurological Function after Asphyxial Cardiac Arrest in Rodents.

Background: Cardiac arrest (CA) can lead to neuronal degeneration and death through various pathways, including oxidative, inflammatory, and metabolic stress. However, current neuroprotective drug therapies will typically target only one of these pathways, and most single drug attempts to correct the multiple dysregulated metabolic pathways elicited following cardiac arrest have failed to demonstrate clear benefit. Many scientists have opined on the need for novel, multidimensional approaches to the multiple metabolic disturbances after cardiac arrest.

An Automation System Equivalent to the Douglas Bag Technique Enables Continuous and Repeat Metabolic Measurements in Patients Undergoing Mechanical Ventilation.

Purpose: To develop a system that is equivalent to the gold standard Douglas Bag (DB) technique for measuring oxygen consumption (V̇o), carbon dioxide generation (V̇co), and respiratory quotient (RQ) and to validate its use in clinical settings.

Methods: This was a prospective, observational study conducted at a suburban, quaternary care teaching hospital. Healthy volunteers and patients 18 years or older who received mechanical ventilation were enrolled.

COVID-19-Associated Portal Vein Thrombosis Post-Cholecystitis.

This case study describes a 45-year-old Caucasian male with a past medical history of obesity, hypertension, and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, who in the setting of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia, developed portal vein thrombosis (PVT) presenting as an acute abdomen after hospital discharge from a cholecystitis episode. PVT is a very infrequent thromboembolic condition, classically occurring in patients with systemic conditions such as cirrhosis, malignancy, pancreatitis, diverticulitis, autoimmunity, and thrombophilia. PVT can cause serious complications, such as intestinal infarction, or even death, if not promptly treated.

Influence of Donor Race and Donor-recipient Race-matching on Pediatric Kidney Transplant Outcomes.

Unlabelled: Existing literature has demonstrated the significant relationship between race and kidney transplant outcomes; however, there are conflicting and limited data on the influence of donor race or donor-recipient race-matching on pediatric kidney transplant outcomes.

Methods: Analysis included kidney-only transplant recipients between ages 2 and 17 from 2000 to 2017 enrolled in the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and their associated donors. Multivariable regression models were used to compare outcomes by donor race and donor-recipient race-matched status.

The effect of race coefficients on preemptive listing for kidney transplantation.

Background: Race coefficients of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) formulas may be partially responsible for racial inequality in preemptive listing for kidney transplantation.

Methods: We used the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients database to evaluate differences in racial distribution of preemptive listing before and after application of the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) and the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) race coefficients to all preemptively listed non-Black kidney transplant candidates (eGFR modulation). Odds of preemptive listing were calculated by race, with Black as the reference before and after eGFR modulation.

Metformin-mediated mitochondrial protection post-cardiac arrest improves EEG activity and confers neuroprotection and survival benefit.

Cardiac arrest (CA) produces global ischemia/reperfusion injury resulting in substantial multiorgan damage. There are limited efficacious therapies to save lives despite CA being such a lethal disease process. The small population of surviving patients suffer extensive brain damage that results in substantial morbidity.

A Randomized Intervention to Assess the Effectiveness of an Educational Video on Organ Donation Intent.

Background: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an emotive educational video on organ donation intent in New York City. The secondary study objective was to determine if the educational video affected various factors associated with organ donation.

Methods: New York City residents were recruited a crowdsourcing online platform and randomized to one of two groups, with exposure to viewing () an educational video before completing an 81 question survey on organ donation ("video first" condition) or () after completing the survey ("video last" condition).

Balancing Outcome vs. Urgency in Modern Liver Transplantation.

Background: Current allocation mechanisms for liver transplantation (LT) overemphasize emergency, leading to poorer longtime outcomes. The utility was introduced to recognized outcomes in allocation. Recently, Molinari proposed a predictive outcome model based on recipient data.

Bilateral Spontaneous Pneumothorax in a COVID-19 and HIV-Positive Patient: A Case Report.

This case report describes a 60 year-old Black-American male with a past medical history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and hyperthyroidism, who suffered a bilateral spontaneous pneumothorax (SP) in the setting of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. SP is a well-established complication in HIV-positive patients and only recently has been associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. While HIV and COVID-19 infections have been independently linked with increased risk of SP development, it is unknown if both infections interact in a synergistic fashion to exacerbate SP risk.

Kidney transplant outcomes in children and adolescents with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Background: Literature supports equivalent kidney transplant outcomes in adults with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) compared with those without SLE. However, there are conflicting and scant data on kidney transplant outcomes, as well as controversy over optimal timing of transplantation, in children and adolescents with SLE.

Methods: Analysis included kidney-only transplant recipients aged 2-21 years from 2000 to 2017 enrolled in the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN).

A Survey of the Impact of the COVID-19 Crisis on Skill Decay Among Surgery and Anesthesia Residents.

Objective: The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly impacted healthcare delivery and strained medical training. This study explores resident and faculty perceptions regarding the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on technical skill decay of surgical and anesthesia residents. We hypothesized that many residents perceived that their technical abilities diminished due to a short period of interruption in their training.

Nosocomial COVID-19 infection in women undergoing elective cesarean delivery: a prospective cohort study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic placed obstetricians in a difficult position of continuing to perform elective cesarean delivery without the knowledge of the risk of the spread of nosocomial infection of the COVID-19 virus.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the nosocomial infection rate in women undergoing elective cesarean delivery at 2 academic institutions.

Study Design: This nonrandomized prospective cohort trial evaluated patients undergoing elective cesarean delivery during the reopening phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state of New York at 2 large volume labor and delivery units.

The Fanconi anemia pathway and Breast Cancer: A comprehensive review of clinical data.

The development of breast cancer depends on several risk factors, including environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors. Despite the evolution of DNA sequencing techniques and biomarker detection, the epidemiology and mechanisms of various breast cancer susceptibility genes have not been elucidated yet. Dysregulation of the DNA damage response causes genomic instability and increases the rate of mutagenesis and the risk of carcinogenesis.