Outcomes Following Vascular and Endovascular Procedures Performed During the First COVID-19 Pandemic Wave.

Objective: The first COVID-19 pandemic wave was a period of reduced surgical activity and redistribution of resources to only those with late stage or critical presentations. This Vascular and Endovascular Research Network COVID-19 Vascular Service (COVER) study aimed to describe the six-month outcomes of patients who underwent open surgery and or endovascular interventions for major vascular conditions during this period.

Methods: In this international, multicentre, prospective, observational study, centres recruited consecutive patients undergoing vascular procedures over a 12-week period.

Social Deprivation and the Association With Survival Following Fenestrated Endovascular Aneurysm Repair.

Background: Social deprivation is associated with poor clinical outcomes. It is known to have an impact on length of stay and post-operative mortality across a number of other surgical specialties. This study evaluates the impact of social deprivation on outcomes following fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair (FEVAR).

Editor's Choice - Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Wound Adjuncts for the Prevention of Groin Wound Surgical Site Infection in Arterial Surgery.

Objective: Groin incision surgical site infections (SSIs) following arterial surgery are common and are a source of considerable morbidity. This review evaluates interventions and adjuncts delivered immediately before, during, or after skin closure, to prevent SSIs in patients undergoing arterial interventions involving a groin incision.

Data Sources: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases were searched.

Reducing the risk of venous thromboembolism following superficial endovenous treatment: A UK and Republic of Ireland consensus study.

Objectives: Venous thromboembolism is a potentially fatal complication of superficial endovenous treatment. Proper risk assessment and thromboprophylaxis could mitigate this hazard; however, there are currently no evidence-based or consensus guidelines. This study surveyed UK and Republic of Ireland vascular consultants to determine areas of consensus.

Study protocol for the groin wound infection after vascular exposure (GIVE) audit and multicentre cohort study.

Introduction: Surgical site infections (SSIs) following groin incision for arterial exposure are commonplace and a significant cause of morbidity and mortality following major arterial surgery. Published incidence varies considerably. The primary aim of GIVE will be to compare individual units' practice with established guidelines from The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Editor's Choice - Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) in Aortic Intervention: Findings From the Midlands Aortic Renal Injury (MARI) Cohort Study.

Objectives: The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) after open (OAR) or endovascular (EVAR) aortic repair is unknown. This research assessed the proportion of patients who develop AKI after aortic intervention using validated criteria, and explored AKI risk factors.

Methods: This was a multicentre national prospective cohort study.

A Randomised Controlled Trial Comparing Three Different Radiofrequency Technologies: Short-Term Results of the 3-RF Trial.

Objective: To date there has been no comparison of outcomes of endovenous radiofrequency (RF) devices. The 3-RF trial is the first randomised controlled trial of three commercially available RF ablation technologies.

Methods: Patients were recruited [182/302 patients with great saphenous vein (GSV) incompetence] into a prospective double blind randomised trial of Venefit, radiofrequency induced thermal therapy (RFITT), and endovenous radiofrequency (EVRF).

The electronic complexity of the ground-state of the FeMo cofactor of nitrogenase as relevant to quantum simulations.

We report that a recent active space model of the nitrogenase FeMo cofactor, proposed in the context of simulations on quantum computers, is not representative of the electronic structure of the FeMo cofactor ground-state. A more representative model does not affect much certain resource estimates for a quantum computer such as the cost of a Trotter step, while strongly affecting others such as the cost of adiabatic state preparation. Thus, conclusions should not be drawn from the complexity of quantum or classical simulations of the electronic structure of this system in this active space.

The Transposed Femoral Vein Fistula: The Native Choice in Desperate Vascular Access.

Background: This is a review of our experience in creating transposed femoral vein (TFV) fistulas and some of the lessons we have learnt while performing this challenging procedure over the last 5 years.

Methods: This is retrospective review of patients who underwent TFV fistula formation between January 2013 and December 2017.

Results: Fifteen patients underwent FV fistula formation with 4 cases being excluded from analysis.

Diabetes mellitus and abdominal aortic aneurysms: A review of the mechanisms underlying the negative relationship.

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus appears to be negatively associated with abdominal aortic aneurysm; however, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain poorly understood. The aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of the currently understood biological pathways underlying this relationship.

Methods: A review of the literature ('diabetes' OR 'hyperglycaemia' AND 'aneurysm') was performed and relevant studies grouped into biological pathways.

Investigation of the ozone formation reaction pathway: Comparisons of full configuration interaction quantum Monte Carlo and fixed-node diffusion Monte Carlo with contracted and uncontracted MRCI.

The association/dissociation reaction path for ozone (O + O ↔ O) is notoriously difficult to describe accurately using ab initio electronic structure theory, due to the importance of both strong and dynamic electron correlations. Experimentally, spectroscopic studies of the highest lying recorded vibrational states combined with the observed negative temperature dependence of the kinetics of oxygen isotope exchange reactions confirm that the reaction is barrierless, consistent with the latest potential energy surfaces. Previously reported potentials based on Davidson-corrected internally contracted multireference configuration interaction (MRCI) suffer from a spurious reef feature in the entrance channel even when extrapolated towards the complete basis set limit.

Why Quantum Coherence Is Not Important in the Fenna-Matthews-Olsen Complex.

We develop and present an improvement to the conventional technique for solving the Hierarchical Equations of Motion (HEOM), which can reduce the memory cost by up to 75% while retaining the same (or even better) convergence rate and accuracy. This allows for a full calculation of the population dynamics of the 24-site FMO trimer for long time scales with very little effort, and we present the first fully converged, exact results for the 7-site subsystem of the monomer, and for the full 24-site trimer. We then show where our exact 7-site results deviate from the approximation of Ishizaki and Fleming [A.

Outcomes Following Limb Crossing in Endovascular Aneurysm Repairs.

Background: Crossing the limbs of the stent during endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is often used to aid cannulation of the contralateral limb. This study assessed outcomes following the use of this technique.

Methods: Retrospective review of crossed (n = 43) and uncrossed (n = 269) EVARs was performed at a tertiary vascular center over 5 years.

Mapping the space of genomic signatures.

We propose a computational method to measure and visualize interrelationships among any number of DNA sequences allowing, for example, the examination of hundreds or thousands of complete mitochondrial genomes. An "image distance" is computed for each pair of graphical representations of DNA sequences, and the distances are visualized as a Molecular Distance Map: Each point on the map represents a DNA sequence, and the spatial proximity between any two points reflects the degree of structural similarity between the corresponding sequences. The graphical representation of DNA sequences utilized, Chaos Game Representation (CGR), is genome- and species-specific and can thus act as a genomic signature.

Clinical and histological outcomes following living-related liver transplantation in children.

Objectives: Living-related liver transplantation (LRLT) was developed to increase the donor pool of size-matched organs for children. In the UK only one centre performed LRLT between 1993 and 2008. This study reports the clinical and histological outcomes following adult-to-paediatric LRLT at our centre.

Aneurysm global epidemiology study: public health measures can further reduce abdominal aortic aneurysm mortality.

Background: Contemporary data from Western populations suggest steep declines in abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) mortality; however, international trends are unclear. This study aimed to investigate global AAA mortality trends and to analyze any association with common cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods And Results: AAA mortality (1994-2010) using International Classification of Diseases codes were extracted from the World Health Organization mortality database and age standardized.

Effect of anticoagulation and antiplatelet therapy on incidence of endoleaks and sac size expansions after endovascular aneurysm repair.

Background: The effects of anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy on the incidence of endoleak and aneurysm sac size after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) are unclear. This study aims to determine whether these therapies affect the incidence of endoleaks or sac size expansions after EVAR.

Methods: The case notes of 407 patients (367 men and 40 women, mean age 74.

End tidal carbon dioxide levels during the resuscitation of prematurely born infants.

Background: Successful resuscitation of prematurely born infants is dependent on achieving adequate alveolar ventilation and vasodilation of the pulmonary vascular bed. Elevation of end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO(2)) levels may indicate pulmonary vasodilation.

Aims: This research aims to study the temporal changes in ETCO(2) levels and the infant's respiratory efforts during face mask resuscitation in the labour suite, and to determine if the infant's first inspiratory effort was associated with a rise in the ETCO(2) levels, suggesting pulmonary vasodilation had occurred.

The first five inflations during resuscitation of prematurely born infants.

Objective: To study the first five inflations during the resuscitation of prematurely born infants and whether the infant's inspiratory efforts influenced the expired tidal volume.

Design: Prospective observational study.

Setting: Two tertiary perinatal centres.

Survey of sleeping position recommendations for prematurely born infants.

Unlabelled: The risk of sudden infant death syndrome is increased in prematurely born infants compared to those born at term, particularly if they are either slept prone or on their side. The aim of this study was to determine whether a national campaign "Time to get back to sleep" had influenced the recommendations made by neonatal practitioners regarding the sleeping position for prematurely born babies prior to and after neonatal unit discharge. A questionnaire survey was sent to all UK neonatal units, of which 90% responded.

Circulating vascular progenitor cells in patients with type 1 diabetes and microalbuminuria.

Objective: Patients with type 1 diabetes and microalbuminuria are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Abnormalities in vascular progenitor cells, which participate in vascular repair, may be implicated in this susceptibility.

Research Design And Methods: We studied the number and function of vascular progenitor cells in 22 type 1 diabetic patients with history of microalbuminuria (MA(+)) and 22 type 1 diabetic patients without history of microalbuminuria (MA(-)), of similar age, diabetes duration, glycemic control, renal function, and no history of CVD.

Accurate analytic potentials for Li(2)(X (1)Sigma(g) (+)) and Li(2)(A (1)Sigma(u) (+)) from 2 to 90 A, and the radiative lifetime of Li(2p).

Extensions of the recently introduced "Morse/long-range" (MLR) potential function form allow a straightforward treatment of a molecular state for which the inverse-power long-range potential changes character with internuclear separation. Use of this function in a direct-potential-fit analysis of a combination of new fluorescence data for (7,7)Li(2), (6,6)Li(2), and (6,7)Li(2) with previously reported data for the A((1)Sigma(u) (+)) and X((1)Sigma(g) (+)) states yields accurate, fully analytic potentials for both states, together with the analytic "adiabatic" Born-Oppenheimer breakdown radial correction functions which are responsible for the difference between the interaction potentials and well depths for the different isotopologues. This analysis yields accurate well depths of D(e)=8516.