Evaluating the Efficacy of a Pre-Established Lipid-Lowering Algorithm in Managing Hypercholesterolemia in Patients at Very High Cardiovascular Risk.

Background: Recent data from European studies (EUROASPIRE V, DA VINCI, SANTORINI) indicate that achieving the LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) target in patients at very high cardiovascular risk is uncommon. Additionally, using a combination therapy involving statins and ezetimibe remains infrequent.

Methods: A single-center assessment of a pre-defined lipid lowering treatment algorithm's effectiveness at achieving the LDL-C target in patients at very high cardiovascular risk one month and one year after hospitalization.

Impact of Pre-Transplant Left Ventricular Diastolic Pressure on Primary Graft Dysfunction after Lung Transplantation: A Narrative Review.

Lung transplantation (LT) constitutes the last therapeutic option for selected patients with end-stage respiratory disease. Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) is a form of severe lung injury, occurring in the first 72 h following LT and constitutes the most common cause of early death after LT. The presence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) has been reported to favor PGD development, with a negative impact on patients' outcomes while complicating medical management.

The Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition: a unique multisector approach adds to global pandemic preparedness efforts.

Detection and epidemiologic characterization of infectious disease outbreaks are key for early identification and response to potential pandemic threats. The rapid global spread of severe SARS-CoV-2 in 2020 highlighted the critical role of diagnostics in understanding the epidemiology of the virus early in the pandemic. As a natural extension of Abbott's work in diagnostics, virus discovery, and virus surveillance, the Abbott Pandemic Defense Coalition (APDC) was launched in early 2021.

College Student E-cigarette Use: A Reasoned Action Approach Measure Development.

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an instrument using the reasoned action approach (RAA) to measure recreational electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among college students. Using a multi-phase, cross-sectional design, a 32-item measure was developed, and the factor structure was explored and confirmed using an exploratory factor analysis (EFA; N = 369) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; N = 320), respectively. An exploratory structural equation model (ESEM) and SEM also were employed to examine the relationships between latent constructs and to test the application of the RAA.

High throughput crystal structure and composition mapping of crystalline nanoprecipitates in alloys by transmission Kikuchi diffraction and analytical electron microscopy.

Statistically significant crystal structure and composition identification of nanocrystalline features such as nanoparticles/nanoprecipitates in materials chemistry and alloy designing using electron microscopy remains a grand challenge. In this paper, we reveal that differing crystallographic phases of nanoprecipitates in alloys can be mapped with unprecedented statistics using transmission Kikuchi diffraction (TKD), on typical carbon-based electron-transparent samples. Using a case of multiphase, multicomponent nanoprecipitates extracted from an improved version of 9% chromium Eurofer-97 reduced-activation ferritic-martensitic steel we show that TKD successfully identified more than thousand MC, MX, MC and MX (M=Fe, Cr, W, V, Ta; X = C, N) nanoprecipitates in a single scan, something that is currently unachievable using a transmission electron microscope (TEM) without incorporating a precision electron diffraction (PED) system.

Surface-specific Correlation Between Extrinsic Stains and Early Childhood Caries.

Purpose: This study was designed to assess (i) the prevalence of extrinsic stains in preschool children (ii) the correlation between extrinsic stains and the occurrence of early childhood caries (ECC) (iii) to compare the distribution of caries in pits and fissures, smooth surfaces or both among children with and without extrinsic stains.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 1,486 children aged 0-3 years. Extrinsic stain and ECC were scored by two calibrated examiners.

Disparities in Health Care Coverage Among U.S. Born and Mexican/Central American Born Labor Workers in the U.S.

We examined health insurance coverage among U.S. and Mexican/Central American (M/CA) born labor workers living in the U.

Mechanical Modeling of a Keratoconic Cornea.

Purpose: We created a laboratory model of a cornea that was subjected to various pressures and thermal and mechanical factors to better understand the genesis of keratoconus deformation.

Methods: A steel base allowed for fixation of circular multilaminated patches of araldite (10 cm in diameter, 5 mm thick) in which the corneal anatomy was modeled. The model was plunged into a steam room (374°F/3 bars of pressure for 1 h) to ensure thermal homogeneity and was subjected to pressure using compressed air.

Do Oral Health Educational Programmes for Expectant Mothers Prevent Early Childhood Caries? - Systematic Review.

Purpose: To summarise the evidence for the efficacy of oral health educational programmes provided to expectant mothers for preventing Early Childhood Caries (ECC) and to determine the most effective intervention programme.

Materials And Methods: The search strategy included clinical trials in the Cochrane Oral Health Group's Trials Register, PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, LILACS and ClinicalKey (up to 26 August 2013) in English. Reference lists of identified randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and review articles were also hand searched.

Prevalence and pattern of early childhood caries in a rural South Indian population evaluated by ICDAS with suggestions for enhancement of ICDAS software tool.

Background: Early Childhood Caries (ECC) continues to be the most common public health issue in developing countries.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of ECC in 0- to 3-year-old children from rural areas of South India, using the ICDAS.

Design: A cross-sectional study was carried out with 1486 children aged 0-3 years in South India.

Meaning making in long-term care: what do certified nursing assistants think?

Certified nursing assistants (CNAs) provide up to 80% of the direct care to older adults in long-term care facilities. CNAs are perceived as being at the bottom of the hierarchy among healthcare professionals often negatively affecting their job satisfaction. However, many CNAs persevere in providing quality care and even reporting high levels of job satisfaction.

Health Beliefs of Marshallese Regarding Type 2 Diabetes.

Objectives: The Marshallese population suffers from disproportionate rates of type 2 diabetes. This study identifies the underlying beliefs and perceptions that affect diabetes self-management behavior in the US Marshallese population living in Arkansas.

Methods: The study employs focus groups with a semi-structured interview guide developed using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach and the Health Belief Model.

Pediatric injuries associated with fireplaces, United States, 2002-2007.

Objective: To examine injuries among pediatric patients treated in an emergency department (ED) related to contact with a fireplace.

Methods: Data were obtained from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System for the years 2002 through 2007. National estimates of ED visits for injuries associated with fireplaces were analyzed.

Pediatric injuries associated with the use of children's wagons in the United States, 2002 through 2007.

Objective: To examine injuries among children treated in an emergency department (ED) related to use of a children's wagon.

Methods: Data were obtained from the 2002 through 2007 National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. National estimates of ED visits associated with the use of a children's wagon were analyzed among children aged birth through 6 years in the United States.

Significance of biochemical parameters in differentiating uniglandular from multiglandular disease and limiting use of intraoperative parathormone assay.

Background: We studied whether serum calcium and parathormone (PTH) levels are significantly different for uniglandular disease (UGD) and multiglandular disease (MGD) and whether intraoperative rapid intact parathormone (IOPTH) monitoring can be avoided in some cases of minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP) without affecting cure rates, substantiating various previous published studies.

Method: This is a single-referral-center retrospective review of prospectively collected data for 281 patients with sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism (sPHPT) from January 1999 to February 2005. The calcium and PTH values were categorized using the following parameters: calcium > or = 3 mmol/l = 1, < 3 mmol/l = 0, PTH > or = 100 pg/ml = 1, PTH < 100 = 1.

Aldosterone synthase inhibition improves cardiovascular function and structure in rats with heart failure: a comparison with spironolactone.

Aims: Inhibition of aldosterone synthase, the key enzyme in aldosterone formation, could be an alternative strategy for mineralocorticoid-receptor antagonists in congestive heart failure (CHF), but its effect in CHF is unknown.

Methods And Results: We compared, in rats with CHF, the effects of a 7 day and a 12 week treatment with the aldosterone synthase inhibitor FAD286 (4 mg kg(-1) day(-1)) with those induced by spironolactone (80 mg kg(-1) day(-1)). FAD286/spironolactone increased cardiac output without modifying arterial pressure.

Long-term follow-up after parathyroidectomy for radiation-induced hyperparathyroidism.

Background: External radiation is associated with a risk of hyperparathyroidism. We reviewed the outcomes after operation for radiation-induced hyperparathyroidism (R-HPT).

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of all patients who had operative therapy for R-HPT from 1980 to 2003 in our department with a minimum of 3 years of follow-up after operative therapy.

Antidonor humoral transfer induces transplant arteriosclerosis in aortic and cardiac graft models in rats.

Objective: The humoral pathway is suggested as playing a key role in transplant arteriosclerosis. The humoral immunity is demonstrated in the present study to induce direct vascular lesion.

Methods: Ten abdominal aortic grafts were performed on 4 groups of rats: Brown Norway (BN) isografts, BN to Lewis (LEW) allografts, and two BN to nude (RNU) grafted groups with and without any humoral transfer.

Low molecular weight fucan prevents transplant coronaropathy in rat cardiac allograft model.

Introduction: Transplant arteriosclerosis is the main cause of long-term failure after cardiac transplantation. Vascular rejection is thought to be due to intimal proliferation occurring in response to arterial wall immune-mediated injury. A low molecular weight fucan (LMWF) compound, a sulfated polysaccharide, has been demonstrated to increase plasma levels of stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) and consequently to mobilize bone marrow-derived vascular progenitor cells (BMVPC).

Triple ACE-ECE-NEP inhibition in heart failure: a comparison with ACE and dual ECE-NEP inhibition.

Mortality remains high in chronic heart failure (CHF) because under ACE inhibitor treatment other neurohumoral systems remain/become (de)activated, such as the endothelin and atrial natriuretic peptide pathways. Dual endothelin-converting enzyme-neutral endopeptidase (ECE-NEP) inhibition exerts beneficial effects in experimental CHF, but whether "triple" ACE-ECE-NEP inhibition is superior to ACE or ECE-NEP inhibition is unknown. We compared, in rats with CHF, ACE-ECE-NEP to ACE or ECE-NEP inhibition in terms of left ventricular (LV) hemodynamics and remodeling.

The association of distraction and caution displayed by pedestrians at a lighted crosswalk.

The rates of deaths and injuries among pedestrians have fallen in recent years, but still remain public health problems as about 5000 pedestrians die each year. Because pedestrians have been shown to be responsible or partially responsible for many of the crashes in which they are involved, we sought to assess the relationship of distracted walking and performing routine cautionary behaviors of pedestrians crossing a busy street in a southwestern city at an intersection, adjacent a university. The behavior of 866 individuals was recorded by trained observers as pedestrians walked across a 105-foot wide street served by a stop light and zebra painted crosswalk.

Transient reduction in myocardial free oxygen radical levels is involved in the improved cardiac function and structure after long-term allopurinol treatment initiated in established chronic heart failure.

Aims: Oxidative stress, i.e. imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defences, contributes to the progression of chronic heart failure (CHF).

Addiction in Parkinson's disease: impact of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation.

In Parkinson's disease, dopamine dysregulation syndrome (DDS) is characterized by severe dopamine addiction and behavioral disorders such as manic psychosis, hypersexuality, pathological gambling, and mood swings. Here, we describe the case of 2 young parkinsonian patients suffering from disabling motor fluctuations and dyskinesia associated with severe DDS. In addition to alleviating the motor disability in both patients, subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation greatly reduced the behavioral disorders as well as completely abolished the addiction to dopaminergic treatment.