Treating COPD Patients with Inhaled Medications in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond: Options and Rationales for Patients at Home.

COVID-19 has affected millions of patients, caregivers, and clinicians around the world. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spreads via droplets and close contact from person to person, and there has been an increased concern regarding aerosol drug delivery due to the potential aerosolizing of viral particles. To date, little focus has been given to aerosol drug delivery to patients with COVID-19 treated at home to minimize their hospital utilization.

Polymicrobial sepsis and endotoxemia promote microvascular thrombosis via distinct mechanisms.

Background: We reported recently that endotoxemia promotes microvascular thrombosis in cremaster venules of wild-type mice, but not in mice deficient in toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) or von Willebrand factor (VWF).

Objective: To determine whether the clinically relevant model of polymicrobial sepsis induced by cecal ligation/perforation (CLP) induces similar responses via the same mechanisms as endotoxemia.

Methods: We used a light/dye-injury model of thrombosis in the cremaster microcirculation of wild-type mice and mice deficient in toll-like receptor-4 (C57BL/10ScNJ), toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), or VWF.

Differential role of von Willebrand factor and P-selectin on microvascular thrombosis in endotoxemia.

Objective: Endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide [LPS]) enhances microvascular thrombosis in mouse cremaster venules. Because von Willebrand factor (vWF) and P-selectin are suggested to mediate LPS-induced platelet-microvessel interactions, we determined whether vWF and P-selectin contribute to microvascular thrombosis in endotoxemia.

Methods And Results: A light/dye-induced thrombosis model was used in cremaster microvessels of saline or LPS-injected mice (wild-type, P-selectin-deficient, vWF-deficient, or littermate controls).

Transendothelial flow inhibits neutrophil transmigration through a nitric oxide-dependent mechanism: potential role for cleft shear stress.

Endothelial cells in vivo are well known to respond to parallel shear stress induced by luminal blood flow. In addition, fluid filtration across endothelium (transendothelial flow) may trigger nitric oxide (NO) production, presumably via shear stress within intercellular clefts. Since NO regulates neutrophil-endothelial interactions, we determined whether transendothelial flow regulates neutrophil transmigration.

Critical illness in pregnancy: an overview.

Objectives: To provide an overview of the critical illnesses that afflict the pregnant patient.

Design: A comprehensive review of the literature was performed with Pubmed Medline using medical subject headings of pregnancy, critical care, epidemiology, prognostic score, dyspnea, fever, and jaundice.

Results: Although pregnant women constitute a small number of admissions to an intensive care unit, they pose a challenge to the health care team.

A simplified method of timing frozen embryo transfers.

Objective: Our purpose was to compare a simple artificial hormone replacement regimen with two other protocols incorporating pituitary down-regulation with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist for frozen embryo transfers.

Study Design: We performed a retrospective analysis of pregnancy outcomes after 366 frozen embryo transfers timed by one of three hormone replacement regimens. The three regimens used were regimen A, leuprolide acetate and transdermal estradiol patches; regimen B, leuprolide acetate and oral micronized estradiol; regimen C, only oral micronized estradiol.

Successful implantation of frozen sibling embryos is influenced by the outcome of the cycle from which they were derived.

Objectives: To determine if the success of frozen embryos obtained from assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles is dependent upon the outcome of the ART cycle from which they were derived and to determine if the length of time in cryostorage affects pregnancy rates (PRs).

Design: Retrospective analysis of pregnancy outcome of consecutive frozen ETs compared with their corresponding "'fresh" cycles.

Setting: University-affiliated private ART program.

Gamete intrafallopian transfer: the effect of the number of eggs used and the depth of gamete placement on pregnancy initiation.

The role of the fallopian tube in initiating pregnancy was examined in 246 consecutive gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) cycles. Before actual transfer, the ampulla of each tube was measured to determine the depth at which gametes could be placed. Fifty-seven transfers were made with four oocytes into a single tube; of these, when gametes were deposited deeper than 4 cm, the pregnancy rate was higher than when they were placed at between 3 to 4 cm (69.