A Descriptive Study of Corneal Graft Failure in Retransplant Patients.

Objective: To identify the main predictors for corneal graft failure in patients who underwent retransplantation.

Method: This is a cross-sectional research with a quantitative and analytical approach, conducted based on data from secondary sources of a Human Eye Tissue Bank (HETB) in Northeast Brazil. Data were collected from the medical charts of all patients transplanted between January 2010 and December 2014.

A real-world study of treatment sequences and second-line clinical outcomes in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer in US community practice.

Purpose: Standard-of-care for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (HER2 + mBC) patients consists of trastuzumab ± pertuzumab with chemotherapy in first-line (1L), and ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) or the more recently approved trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) in second-line (2L). Contemporary data on treatment sequencing and real-world effectiveness is limited. This study aims to report 2L treatments and outcomes among HER2 + mBC patients in the United States (US).

Heparin versus 0.9% sodium chloride intermittent flushing for preventing occlusion in newborns with peripherally inserted central catheters: A systematic review protocol.

Background: Mechanical factors are primary complications that justify early removal of a peripherally inserted central catheter, and thrombotic catheter occlusion is the most critical mechanical complication associated with loss of device functionality. Studies have investigated these factors in adult patients, but findings are not directly applicable to newborns. Therefore, systematic reviews focusing on this population are necessary for consolidated evidence to aid clinical practice.

Use of Telehealth During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Practicing Maternal-Fetal Medicine Clinicians.

Limited knowledge exists about the drivers of telehealth use among obstetricians during COVID-19 in the United States. We investigated the use of live video visits by Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) clinicians, the factors associated with use and interest in future use. We drew survey data from 373 clinicians on two outcomes: (1) use of any (vs.

Screening for High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Using Passive, Self-Collected Menstrual Blood.

Objective: To assess concordance and acceptability of a modified menstrual pad compared with a clinician-collected high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) sample.

Methods: This was a prospective observational study. Women presenting for either cervical cancer screening or with a history of high-risk HPV positivity were eligible.

Donation Process and Evaluation of Corneal Tissue in a Slit Lamp.

Background: The process of capturing and classifying the viability of corneal tissue for corneal transplantation is complex. The biomicroscopic examination is one of the techniques used to evaluate the quality of corneal tissues. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between the evaluation criteria used in biomicroscopic examination using a slit lamp and the classification of the quality of corneal tissue.

HMOX1 Genetic Polymorphisms Display Ancestral Diversity and May Be Linked to Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy.

Racial disparity exists for hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP), which leads to disparate morbidity and mortality worldwide. The enzyme heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is encoded by HMOX1, which has genetic polymorphisms in its regulatory region that impact its expression and activity and have been associated with various diseases. However, studies of these genetic variants in HDP have been limited.

Clinical and surgical factors and intraoperative complications in patients who underwent penetrating keratoplasty.

Objective: to identify the main intraoperative complications of patients who underwent keratoplasty and relationship between these complications and clinical and surgical factors.

Method: cross-sectional observational study. A census of the patients submitted to keratoplasty was carried out, which totaled 258 procedures.

Mother-child histocompatibility and risk of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus among mothers.

The study objective was to test the hypothesis that having histocompatible children increases the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), possibly by contributing to the persistence of fetal cells acquired during pregnancy. We conducted a case control study using data from the UC San Francisco Mother Child Immunogenetic Study and studies at the Inova Translational Medicine Institute. We imputed human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles and minor histocompatibility antigens (mHags).

Increased alloreactive and autoreactive antihuman leucocyte antigen antibodies associated with systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) disproportionately affect women during and following childbearing years. Antihuman leucocyte antigen (HLA) alloantibody responses are common in healthy parous women, and as these diseases are both linked with HLA and immune dysregulation, we sought to evaluate anti-HLA antibodies in RA and SLE.

Methods: Anti-HLA antibodies were measured among parous SLE cases (n=224), parous RA cases (n=202) and healthy parous controls (n=239) and compared with each other as well as with nulliparous female and male controls.

Alloreactive fetal T cells promote uterine contractility in preterm labor via IFN-γ and TNF-α.

Healthy pregnancy is the most successful form of graft tolerance, whereas preterm labor (PTL) may represent a breakdown in maternal-fetal tolerance. Although maternal immune responses have been implicated in pregnancy complications, fetal immune responses against maternal antigens are often not considered. To examine the fetal immune system in the relevant clinical setting, we analyzed maternal and cord blood in patients with PTL and healthy term controls.

Strategies used for the promotion of critical thinking in nursing undergraduate education: A systematic review.

Objective: Identifying the strategies used to promote critical thinking (CT) during undergraduate education in nursing courses.

Design: Systematic review.

Source Of Data: Five electronic databases were searched without language, publication time or geographic filters.

Clinical and epidemiological aspects of cornea transplant patients of a reference hospital.

Objective:: clinically characterizing cornea transplant patients and their distribution according to indicated and post-operative conditions of cornea transplantation, as well as estimating the average waiting time.

Method:: a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study performed for all cornea transplants performed at a reference service (n=258). Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 20.

Increased risk of rheumatoid arthritis among mothers with children who carry risk-associated alleles.

Objective: To investigate whether a child's genotype affects a mother's risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) beyond the risk associated with her genotype and to test whether exposure to fetal alleles inherited from the father increases risk of RA among mothers without risk alleles.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted among 1165 mothers (170 cases/995 controls) and their respective 1482 children. We tested the association between having any child with alleles encoding amino acids (AAs) associated with RA including the 'shared epitope' (SE) and DERAA AA sequences at positions 70-74; AA valine, lysine and alanine at positions 11, 71 and 74 of HLA-DRB1; aspartic acid at position 9 of HLA-B and phenylalanine at position 9 of DPB1.

A Child's HLA-DRB1 genotype increases maternal risk of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) disproportionately affects women of reproductive age. During pregnancy, women are exposed to various sources of fetal material possibly constituting a significant immunologic exposure relevant to the development of SLE. The objective of this study was to investigate whether having any children who carry DRB1 alleles associated with SLE increase the risk of maternal SLE.

[Factors that influence the interruption of exclusive breastfeeding in nursing mothers].

Objective: To identify factors that can influence nursing mothers to interrupt exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life of the infant.

Method: Descriptive, exploratory, qualitative research. Information was collected through semi-structured interviews with 14 nursing mothers who had received prenatal care in the Family Basic Health Units in the city of Campina Grande - PB, from April to May 2013.

Hypothesized role of pregnancy hormones on HER2+ breast tumor development.

Breast cancer incidence rates have declined among older but not younger women; the latter are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancers carrying a poor prognosis. Epidemiological evidence supports an increase in breast cancer incidence following pregnancy with risk elevated as much as 10 years post-partum. We investigated the association between years since last full-term pregnancy at the time of diagnosis (≤10 or >10 years) and breast tumor subtype in a case series of premenopausal Hispanic women (n = 627).

Factors that influence mammography use and breast cancer detection among Mexican-American and African-American women.

Objective: This study examined factors that influence mammography use and breast cancer detection, including education, health insurance, and acculturation, among Mexican-American (MA) and African-American (AA) women.

Methods: The study included 670 breast cancer cases (388 MAs and 282 AAs), aged 40-86 years at diagnosis. Data on mammography use, detection, and delay in seeking care were collected via questionnaires and medical records.

A case of an anomalous cricothyroid artery.

The cricothyroid artery typically originates as a branch of the superior thyroid artery and courses medially to reach the median cricothyroid ligament. Anatomical variations of this pattern are not well documented in the literature. We present a case in which the left cricothyroid artery originated from the left superior thyroid artery near the superior border of the thyroid cartilage and coursed medially to pierce the thyroid lamina.