New Kidney-After-Heart Allocation Policy in the United States: Who would benefit from a rescue kidney?

Purpose: The new rescue kidney policy in the United States was implemented in June 2023. To estimate its potential impact, we investigated a historic cohort of heart transplant (HT) recipients who would have been eligible for a kidney-after-heart transplant under this policy.

Methods: Adult heart-only recipients from 1/1/2000 to 3/31/2023 in the United Network for Organ Sharing database were categorized by retroactively applying eligibility criteria from the new policy: eGFR≤20mL/min, CrCl≤20mL/min, or dialysis 60-365 days post-HT.

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Unknown Primary-Who Can Be Offered Surgery as the Sole Treatment Modality? A Systematic Review.

Objective: Evaluate the role of surgery as the sole treatment modality for patients with cervical head and neck squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary (HNSCCUP).

Design: Systematic review of observational cohort studies with qualitative synthesis.

Setting: PubMed, Ovid EMBASE, and Cochrane Controlled register of Trials (CENTRAL) were screened from January 2000 up to October 2021.

Peripheral Vascular Emboli in Patients with Infective Endocarditis are Common.

Objective: Infective endocarditis (IE) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and places patients at risk for subsequent peripheral vascular emboli. Our goals were to analyze the incidence of peripheral emboli and their associated complications and outcomes.

Methods: A retrospective single-center review of all patients with IE from 2013-2021 was performed.

Factors associated with malaria in pregnancy among women attending ANC clinics in selected districts of the Ashanti Region, Ghana.

Background: Malaria is a disease deeply rooted in poverty. Malaria in pregnant women leads to severe complications, including low birth weight and neonatal mortality, which can adversely affect both mother and child. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with malaria in pregnancy among women attending antenatal care (ANC) clinics in three districts of the Ashanti Region, Ghana.

Review article: Efficacy of cyproheptadine in the management of serotonin toxicity following deliberate self-poisoning - A systematic review.

Serotonin toxicity is a potentially fatal condition caused by increased serotonergic activity in the central nervous system. Cyproheptadine, a serotonergic antagonist, is recommended for treatment; however, there is a lack of evidence to support its use. The present study aimed to evaluate the evidence for the use of cyproheptadine in the management of serotonin toxicity following deliberate self-poisoning.

Remodeling pedagogical evaluation tools to incorporate student self-efficacy and sense of belonging in scientific research.

Curated undergraduate research experiences have been widely used at colleges and universities for decades to build student interest, technical preparation, and confidence in the pursuit of scientific careers. Educators often employ standardized survey instruments to evaluate learning outcomes for research experiences, but many of these assessments consider only technical skill development and career interests and are not rooted in discrete pedagogical theories. As higher education aims to create inclusive and equitable learning experiences for students, we argue that pedagogical assessment tools for undergraduate research experiences need to expand to consider outcomes such as increased science literacy, confidence in relational "soft" skills, and a sense of belonging to a community that values scientific inquiry.

Meaningful Engagement as a Cornerstone for Implementing the Key Recommendations to Advance the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Women Living With HIV Across Policy, Practice, and Research in Canada.

In 2022, a community-academic collaborative team published 5 key recommendations for developing a national action plan to advance the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of women living with HIV in Canada. In 2023, a national gathering was convened to strategize implementation of the recommendations across policy, practice, and research settings. Discussions highlighted that meaningful engagement of women living with HIV (recommendation 1) is foundational to implementing the other recommendations.

Genomic Surveillance of Foodborne Pathogens: Advances and Obstacles.

Context: The genomic surveillance of foodborne pathogens in the United States has grown exponentially in the past decade, grounded in a powerful combination of novel sequencing technologies, bioinformatic approaches, data-sharing networks, and metadata harmonization efforts. This practice report examines recent advances in genomic epidemiology as applied to food safety programs and delineates State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial infrastructure necessary for continued life-saving improvements in public health.

Program: National databases of foodborne pathogen genomes, along with data sharing and evaluation networks such as GenomeTrakr and PulseNet, have transformed how connections are made among isolates and how root causes of outbreaks are determined, allowing much more timely interventions to protect public health.

Single cell and spatial analysis of immune-hot and immune-cold tumours identifies fibroblast subtypes associated with distinct immunological niches and positive immunotherapy response.

Cancer-associated Fibroblasts (CAFs) have emerged as critical regulators of anti-tumour immunity, with both beneficial and detrimental properties that remain poorly characterised. To investigate this, we performed single-cell and spatial transcriptomic analysis, comparing head & neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) subgroups, which although heterogenous, can be considered broadly immune-hot and immune-cold (human papillomavirus [HPV]+ve and HPV-ve tumours respectively). This identified six fibroblast subpopulations, including two with immunomodulatory gene expression profiles (IL-11 + inflammatory [i]CAF and CCL19 + fibroblastic reticular cell [FRC]-like).

Relationship of Individual Athlete External Load, Session Rating of Perceived Exertion, and Athlete Playing Status Across a Collegiate Women's Basketball Season.

External (EL) and internal (IL) load are commonly used methods used to quantify training load in team sports. Playing time and playing position may influence the training loads for specific athletes throughout a season. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effect of athlete playing status and individual in-season practices on EL and IL across a collegiate women's basketball season.

Use of Ex Situ Machine Perfusion for Liver Transplantation: The National Experience.

Background: Machine perfusion (MP) for liver transplantation has become more widespread in the United States, but national studies on this growing practice are lacking. We investigated national use and outcomes of MP for liver transplantation.

Methods: Adult (≥18 y) liver recipients transplanted between January 1, 2016 and September 30, 2023 in the United Network for Organ Sharing database were included.

Identification of a drought stress response module in tomato plants commonly induced by fungal endophytes that confer increased drought tolerance.

Global climate change exacerbates abiotic stresses, as drought, heat, and salt stresses are anticipated to increase significantly in the coming years. Plants coexist with a diverse range of microorganisms. Multiple inter-organismic relationships are known to confer benefits to plants, including growth promotion and enhanced tolerance to abiotic stresses.

Priming and task-specific training for arm weakness post stroke: A randomized controlled trial.

Objective: The objective of this work was to evaluate if task-specific training (TST) preceded by bilateral upper limb motor priming (BUMP) reduces upper limb impairment more than TST preceded by control priming ([CP], sham electrical stimulation) in people with chronic stroke.

Methods: In this single-blind, randomized controlled trial, 76 adults with moderate to severe upper limb hemiparesis ≥6 months post-stroke were stratified by baseline impairment and randomized to receive either BUMP or CP prior to receiving the same TST protocol. Participants completed 30 h of treatment in 15 days over 6 weeks.

Tuning Colloidal Reactions.

The precise control of complex reactions is critical for biological processes, yet our inability to design for specific outcomes limits the development of synthetic analogs. Here, we leverage differentiable simulators to design nontrivial reaction pathways in colloidal assemblies. By optimizing over external structures, we achieve controlled disassembly and particle release from colloidal shells.

Early Hospital Readmission After Pediatric Liver Transplant: A Retrospective Analysis of the Society of Pediatric Liver Transplantation (SPLIT) Database.

Introduction: Incidence of and risk factors for early hospital readmission (EHR) are poorly defined in pediatric liver transplant recipients. Therefore, we evaluated EHR incidence and risk factors for pediatric liver recipients in a nationally representative sample.

Methods: Using the Society of Pediatric Liver Transplantation database, we retrospectively analyzed 2808 pediatric liver-only recipients transplanted 2011-2022.

How High-Performing Personal Support Workers Set and Maintain Boundaries When Providing Care: A Case Study in Ontario, Canada.

Personal support workers (PSWs) provide a large proportion of in-home care services for Canadians. PSWs must negotiate with clients and their family on how prescribed care is delivered. How PSWs set and maintain professional and personal boundaries during care is poorly understood, and failure to manage boundaries can expose both PSWs and clients to risk.

Burnout and occupational stress of home care rehabilitation professionals transitioning out of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the home healthcare industry, with increased rates of burnout and stress among homecare rehabilitation professionals (hcRPs). This study aimed to (1) examine the nature of burnout and occupational stress among homecare rehabilitation professionals at a large home care organization in Ontario, Canada, transitioning out of the pandemic, and (2) assess its impact on work participation and engagement.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Generic Job Stress Questionnaire and Copenhagen Burnout Inventory to examine burnout and job stress.

CatWalk XT Gait Parameters Associated with Mouse Achilles Tendon Injury and Healing.

Tendons are connective tissues with limited healing potential which results in permanently impaired function. Although direct mechanical testing of tendon remains the gold standard for functional analyses, this assay is terminal and tracking healing over time requires the use of many animals. An alternative method for quantifying tendon function is gait analysis, which is non-terminal and enables longitudinal tracking of the same animal.

Factors Influencing Nurses' Decisions to Leave or Remain in the Home and Community Care Sector During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Home and community care (HCC) nurses experienced increased occupational challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, including increased workloads, job stressors, and occupational risks, like virus exposure. The objective of this study was to elucidate what factors influenced nurses' decisions to stay in their role, take a temporary leave, or exit HCC during the COVID-19 pandemic. A secondary analysis of data collected using a cross-sectional online open survey distributed among HCC Registered Practical Nurses across Ontario between June and September 2022 was conducted.

Nationwide, Couple-Based Genetic Carrier Screening.

Background: Genomic sequencing technology allows for identification of reproductive couples with an increased chance, as compared with that in the general population, of having a child with an autosomal recessive or X-linked genetic condition.

Methods: We investigated the feasibility, acceptability, and outcomes of a nationwide, couple-based genetic carrier screening program in Australia as part of the Mackenzie's Mission project. Health care providers offered screening to persons before pregnancy or early in pregnancy.

Immune checkpoint expression on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) is dependent on HPV status in oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPSCC) - A single-cell RNA sequencing analysis.

Introduction: A substantial proportion of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), particularly oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), is associated with human papillomavirus (HPV), resulting in distinct molecular phenotypes. In this study, we investigated differential immune checkpoint molecule (ICM) expression by HPV status using RNA sequencing data to identify additional ICM targets that may complement anti-PD1 antibodies.

Material And Methods: RNA sequencing was performed on 51 OPSCC cases and validated using the TCGA HNSCC dataset.

Differentiation signals induce APOBEC3A expression via GRHL3 in squamous epithelia and squamous cell carcinoma.

Two APOBEC DNA cytosine deaminase enzymes, APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B, generate somatic mutations in cancer, thereby driving tumour development and drug resistance. Here, we used single-cell RNA sequencing to study APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B expression in healthy and malignant mucosal epithelia, validating key observations with immunohistochemistry, spatial transcriptomics and functional experiments. Whereas APOBEC3B is expressed in keratinocytes entering mitosis, we show that APOBEC3A expression is confined largely to terminally differentiating cells and requires grainyhead-like transcription factor 3 (GRHL3).