Barriers and Facilitators of Colorectal Cancer Screening During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: COVID-19 introduced new barriers to health care including cancer screenings. This study evaluated the role of pandemic- and copay-related barriers to colonoscopy and the extent to which home-based testing methods were utilized.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey assessed colorectal cancer (CRC) attitudes and screening early in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Assessment of machine perfusion conditions for the donation after circulatory death heart preservation.

Background: Donation after circulatory death (DCD) hearts requires machine perfusion preservation, the conditions of which are not well defined.

Methods: To achieve this, rat hearts were procured following a DCD or control beating-heart donation (CBD) model, and perfused for 60 min with one of three machine perfusion solutions-St. Thomas (ST), University of Wisconsin (UW), or Polyethylene Glycol-20k (PEG)-at one of two temperatures, 4°C or 15°C.

Modulation of Interleukin-1 and -18 Mediated Injury in Donation after Circulatory Death Mouse Hearts.

Background: Donation after circulatory death donors (DCD) can expand the donor pool for heart transplantation, which primarily depends on brain death donors. Ischemia and reperfusion injury are inherent to the DCD process. We hypothesize that pharmacologic inhibition of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and/or IL-18 is protective to DCD hearts.

Targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome to reduce warm ischemic injury in donation after circulatory death heart.

While the donation after circulatory death (DCD) heart transplantation is an emerging clinical practice, the primary source of donor hearts for transplantation remains donation after brain death (DBD) donors. DCD process induces formation of NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, a key mediator of inflammation-driven damage to heart. Inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome formation could be protective to DCD hearts.

Acute resuscitation with polyethylene glycol-20k: A thromboelastographic analysis.

Background: Previous ex vivo studies have shown that polyethylene glycol-20,000 Da (PEG-20k), a novel synthetic polymer that is highly effective for resuscitation, has a hypocoagulable effect on human blood. This study's objective was to determine the in vivo effects of PEG-20k-based resuscitation solutions on coagulation and platelet function in a porcine model of hemorrhagic shock.

Methods: Anesthetized pigs underwent controlled hemorrhage until the lactate reached 7 mmol/L or 50% to 55% of their estimated blood volume was removed.