Free Tissue Transfer to the Lower Extremity in the Setting of Thrombocytosis and the Role of Antiplatelet Therapy: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

Background:  Free tissue transfer (FTT) provides a versatile method to achieve successful lower limb salvage. Thrombocytosis in patients undergoing lower extremity (LE) FTT is associated with increased risk of complications. The aims of this study were to assess the feasibility of performing LE FTT in patients with preoperative thrombocytosis, and whether antiplatelet (AP) therapy on the day of surgery (DOS) affects outcomes.

Perioperative evaluation of nutritional status to predict complications in patients with major lower extremity amputation.

Introduction: Optimization of nutritional status is critical in postoperative wound healing. Perioperative Alb and pAlb levels have been used as proxies for overall nutritional status.

Objective: This study examines if such biomarkers correlate with postoperative complications after MLEA for chronic wounds.

The application of targeted muscle reinnervation in lower extremity amputations: A systematic review.

Background: Targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) is a promising surgical modality for reducing post-amputation pain. We sought to provide a succinct overview of TMR specific to the lower extremity (LE) amputation population.

Methods: A systematic review was performed per PRISMA guidelines.

A Pilot Investigation into Targeted Muscle Reinnervation for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, Type II.

Unlabelled: Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a debilitating condition, characterized by severe pain with vascular, motor, or trophic changes. Varied presentations make this a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. There is a lack of high-quality evidence demonstrating efficacy for most existing therapies, particularly with surgical intervention for type II CRPS (CRPS-II).

Postoperative Outcomes following a Multidisciplinary Approach to HIV-positive Breast Cancer Patients.

Unlabelled: Improvements in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment resulted in drastic increases in the lifespan of HIV-positive individuals, resulting in higher rates of non-AIDS-defining cancers. We describe our postoperative outcomes in HIV+ breast cancer (BC) patients, highlighting our multidisciplinary experience with this high-risk population.

Methods: A 7-year multi-institutional retrospective review of all HIV+ BC patients who underwent surgical intervention was performed.

SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Pediatric Solid Organ Transplant Recipients: A Single Center Observation.

Objectives: This is a descriptive study to characterize rates of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in pediatric solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients during the early days of the pandemic. We hypothesized that asymptomatic infection may represent a large proportion of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pediatric SOT recipients.

Methods: We queried Organ Transplant Tracking Record (OTTR) for all pediatric SOT recipients followed at our center and reviewed medical records to identify patients tested for SARS-CoV-2 between March 15, 2020 and June 30, 2021.

Pediatric Vulvovaginal Graft-Versus-Host Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Study and Literature Review.

Study Objective: To assess genital symptomatology, characterize the findings of genital examination, and describe the incidence and treatment of vulvovaginal graft-versus-host disease (vvGvHD) in girls and adolescents after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

Design: Retrospective cohort.

Setting: Metropolitan-area children's hospital.

Mismatch epitope load predicts de novo-DSA-free survival in pediatric liver transplantation.

Background: Our knowledge of de novo anti-HLA donor-specific antibodies (dnDSA) in liver transplantation continues to be defined. We hypothesized that differences of HLA-DR/DQ mismatches can improve precision in alloimmune risk categorization and be applied to tailor immunosuppression.

Methods: A retrospective chart review of 244 pediatric patients consecutively transplanted at our center between 2003 and 2019 was performed to identify patients tested for dnDSA.

Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infection in an Immunocompromised Patient.

Introduction: To report on the first recorded case of necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI) in an immunocompromised individual caused by in the Western Hemisphere and highlight the challenges that medical providers face in promptly diagnosing and treating NSTI in this highly vulnerable patient population.

Case Presentation: We report a case of NSTI caused by in a neutropenic patient admitted for treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The patient presented with laboratory and clinical findings atypical for a NSTI that may have confounded its diagnosis and delayed surgical intervention.

SCH79797 improves outcomes in experimental bacterial pneumonia by boosting neutrophil killing and direct antibiotic activity.

Objectives: The role of protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR1) in the pathogenesis of pneumonia and sepsis is ambiguous given the existing literature. As PAR1 is classically activated by the coagulation-based protease thrombin and leads to vascular leakage, our hypothesis was that PAR1 blockade with SCH79797 would be therapeutically beneficial in an experimental model of murine Gram-negative pneumonia.

Methods: In this study, we administered SCH79797 via the intrapulmonary route 6 h after the establishment of Escherichia coli pneumonia and observed a significant improvement in survival, lung injury, bacterial clearance and inflammation.

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α inhibition modulates airway hyperresponsiveness and nitric oxide levels in a BALB/c mouse model of asthma.

Unlabelled: Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α is a master regulator of inflammation and is upregulated in alveolar macrophages and lung parenchyma in asthma. HIF-1α regulates select pathways in allergic inflammation, and thus may drive particular asthma phenotypes. This work examines the role of pharmacologic HIF-1α inhibition in allergic inflammatory airway disease (AIAD) pathogenesis in BALB/c mice, which develop an airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) asthma phenotype.

Pulmonary artery size as a predictor of outcomes in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Unlabelled: IPF patients have heightened propensity for pulmonary hypertension, which portends a worse outcome. Presence of pulmonary hypertension may be reflected in an enlarged pulmonary artery. We investigated pulmonary artery size measured on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) as an outcome predictor in IPF.

Inflammatory Diseases of the Lung Induced by Conventional Cigarette Smoke: A Review.

Smoking-induced lung diseases were extremely rare prior to the 20th century. With commercialization and introduction of machine-made cigarettes, worldwide use skyrocketed and several new pulmonary diseases have been recognized. The majority of pulmonary diseases caused by cigarette smoke (CS) are inflammatory in origin.

Pulmonary artery size as a predictor of pulmonary hypertension and outcomes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Rationale: The relationship between pulmonary artery size with underlying pulmonary hypertension and mortality remains to be determined in COPD. We sought to evaluate the relationships in a cohort of patients with advanced COPD.

Methods: A retrospective study of advanced COPD patients evaluated between 1998 and 2012 was conducted at a tertiary care center.

Student understanding of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: An estimated 25.8 million people in the United States have type 2 diabetes, including seven million people who have the disease but are undiagnosed. These numbers indicate that education about diabetes is needed.

Cyanine dye conjugates as probes for live cell imaging.

A series of fluorescent compounds suitable for live cell imaging is described. Functionalized forms of four different asymmetric cyanine dyes are reported that are amenable to peptide conjugation. The photophysical properties of the modified dyes and conjugates and the use of the compounds as cellular imaging agents are described.

Tunable DNA cleavage by intercalating peptidoconjugates.

The properties of a novel family of peptide-based DNA-cleavage agents are described. Examination of the DNA-cleavage activities of a systematic series of peptide-intercalator conjugates revealed trends that show a strong dependence on peptide sequence. Conjugates differing by a single residue displayed reactivities that varied over a wide range.