A spatial analysis of power-dependent medical equipment and extreme weather risk in the southeastern United States.

Extreme weather events endanger critical health infrastructure, and many individuals rely on infrastructure to meet their basic needs, such as heat, water, and medical devices. The purpose of this study is to identify spatially explicit at-risk populations for power outages due to these extreme weather events. To accomplish this, we used the HHS emPOWER Emergency Planning Dataset, which was created to help public health authorities plan for and address the needs of communities.

Neurodegenerative biomarkers in different chambers of the eye relative to plasma: an agreement validation study.

Background: Protein biomarkers have been broadly investigated in cerebrospinal fluid and blood for the detection of neurodegenerative diseases, yet a clinically useful diagnostic test to detect early, pre-symptomatic Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains elusive. We conducted this study to quantify Aβ40, Aβ42, total Tau (t-Tau), hyperphosphorylated Tau (ptau181), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and neurofilament light chain (NfL) in eye fluids relative to blood.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study we collected vitreous humor, aqueous humor, tear fluid and plasma in patients undergoing surgery for eye disease.

Birth Experience Among Black Women in the United States: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis.

Introduction: There are striking disparities in perinatal health outcomes for Black women in the United States. Although the causes are multifactorial, research findings have increasingly identified social and structural determinants of health as contributors to perinatal disparities. Maltreatment during perinatal care, which is disproportionately experienced by Black women, may be one such contributor.

Barriers and Facilitators of Parent Presence in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe system-level and personal factors influencing parent presence in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and identify differences in factors by sociodemographic characteristics.

Study Design And Methods: In a cross-sectional national survey study using social media recruitment, participants rated the frequency of 13 potential barriers and 12 potential facilitators using a 5-point Likert scale. Experiences of discrimination and parent-staff engagement were also measured.

Fractured sternal wire causing a cardiac laceration.

Background: Hemopericardium is a serious complication that can occur after cardiac surgery. While most post-operative causes are due to inflammation and bleeding, patients with broken sternal wires and an unstable sternum may develop hemopericardium from penetrating trauma.

Case Presentation: We present the case of a 62-year-old male who underwent triple coronary bypass surgery and presented five months later with sudden anterior chest wall pain.

The Inflammasome-Dependent Dysfunction and Death of Retinal Ganglion Cells after Repetitive Intraocular Pressure Spikes.

The dysfunction and selective loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) is a known cause of vision loss in glaucoma and other neuropathies, where ocular hypertension (OHT) is the major risk factor. We investigated the impact of transient non-ischemic OHT spikes (spOHT) on RGC function and viability in vivo to identify cellular pathways linking low-grade repetitive mechanical stress to RGC pathology. We found that repetitive spOHT had an unexpectedly high impact on intraocular homeostasis and RGC viability, while exposure to steady OHT (stOHT) of a similar intensity and duration failed to induce pathology.

Impact of Interprofessional Communication on Safety in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Background: In light of the complex advances in neonatal intensive care units (NICU), it is essential that healthcare providers (HCPs) are equipped with the appropriate skills to effectively communicate between disciplines to provide safe, quality care. However, many HCPs acknowledge that they are not confident in their ability to communicate effectively with peers.

Purpose And Design: This study aimed to identify perceived barriers and facilitators of communication among HCPs in a NICU setting.

Narrative Review of Use and Continued Relevance of the Maternal Infant Responsiveness Instrument.

Background: The Maternal Infant Responsiveness Instrument (MIRI) was developed in 2002 to measure a critical aspect of maternal-infant health. The objective of this analysis was to examine use, results, and continued relevance of the MIRI 20 years after its creation.

Methods: For the completion of this narrative review, 5 electronic databases were accessed using key search terms.

Artificial intelligence-enabled classification of hypertrophic heart diseases using electrocardiograms.

Background: Differentiating among cardiac diseases associated with left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) informs diagnosis and clinical care.

Objective: To evaluate if artificial intelligence-enabled analysis of the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) facilitates automated detection and classification of LVH.

Methods: We used a pretrained convolutional neural network to derive numerical representations of 12-lead ECG waveforms from patients in a multi-institutional healthcare system who had cardiac diseases associated with LVH (n = 50,709), including cardiac amyloidosis (n = 304), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (n = 1056), hypertension (n = 20,802), aortic stenosis (n = 446), and other causes (n = 4766).

Assessing COVID-19 pandemic policies and behaviours and their economic and educational trade-offs across US states from Jan 1, 2020, to July 31, 2022: an observational analysis.

Background: The USA struggled in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, but not all states struggled equally. Identifying the factors associated with cross-state variation in infection and mortality rates could help to improve responses to this and future pandemics. We sought to answer five key policy-relevant questions regarding the following: 1) what roles social, economic, and racial inequities had in interstate variation in COVID-19 outcomes; 2) whether states with greater health-care and public health capacity had better outcomes; 3) how politics influenced the results; 4) whether states that imposed more policy mandates and sustained them longer had better outcomes; and 5) whether there were trade-offs between a state having fewer cumulative SARS-CoV-2 infections and total COVID-19 deaths and its economic and educational outcomes.

Discovery of a Series of Potent, Selective, and Orally Bioavailable Nucleoside Inhibitors of CD73 That Demonstrates Antitumor Activity.

CD73 (ecto-5'-nucleotidase) has emerged as an attractive target for cancer immunotherapy of many cancers. CD73 catalyzes the hydrolysis of adenosine monophosphate (AMP) into highly immunosuppressive adenosine that plays a critical role in tumor progression. Herein, we report our efforts in developing orally bioavailable and highly potent small-molecule CD73 inhibitors from the reported hit molecule to lead molecule and then finally to compound .

Efficacy of del Nido cardioplegia in adult cardiac procedures with prolonged aortic crossclamp time.

Objective: Equivalent myocardial protection and clinical outcomes have been shown with the use of del Nido cardioplegia (DC) compared with blood cardioplegia (BC) in adult isolated coronary artery bypass grafting and valve patients. However, its safety and efficacy in cardiac procedures with aortic crossclamp times >90 minutes is still unknown.

Methods: From May 2014 to September 2019, 2506 adult patients at our center underwent cardiac surgery requiring prolonged aortic crossclamp time defined as 90 minutes or longer.

Geropsychiatric Nursing Leadership in Long-Term Care.

Geropsychiatric nursing (GPN) leaders in long-term care settings have a 25-year tradition of innovation that has strikingly improved mental health and quality of life for older adult residents. The impact of the Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) on the mental health of older adult residents and today's evolving health care systems requires additional GPN leaders well-prepared to advocate, plan, and deliver care for this vulnerable population. In this article, the authors discuss GPN leadership in the context of its history, the role of professional organizations, and educational competencies.

Integrative Review of Disparities in Mode of Birth and Related Complications among Mexican American Women.

Introduction: Cesarean rates are particularly high among Hispanic women in some regions of the United States, placing a disproportionate health burden on women and their newborns. This integrative review synthesized the literature on mode of birth (vaginal vs cesarean) and related childbirth complications (hemorrhage, surgical site infection, perineal trauma) among Mexican American women living in the United States.

Methods: Four electronic databases, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and SCOPUS, were searched to identify studies meeting the inclusion criteria, research studies that included Mexican American women who were pregnant or postpartum.

Characterization of β-adrenergic receptors in bovine intramuscular and subcutaneous adipose tissue: comparison of lubabegron fumarate with β-adrenergic receptor agonists and antagonists.

Chinese hamster ovary cell constructs expressing either the β 1-, β 2- or β 3-adrenergic receptor (AR) were used to determine whether a novel β-AR modulator, lubabegron fumarate (LUB; Experior, Elanco Animal Health) might exert greater potency for a specific β-AR subtype. EC50 values calculated based on cAMP accumulation in dose response curves indicate that LUB is highly selective for the β 3-AR subtype, with an EC50 of 6 × 10-9 M, with no detectible agonistic activity at the β 2-AR. We hypothesized that the accumulation of lipolytic markers would reflect the agonist activity at each of the β-receptor subtypes of the specific ligand; additionally, there would be differences in receptor subtype expression in subcutaneous (s.

Intraoperative consultation of vascular surgeons is increasing at a major American trauma center.

Objective: Vascular surgeons are often called to aid other surgical specialties for complex exposure, hemorrhage control, or revascularization. The evolving role of the vascular surgeon in the management of intraoperative emergencies involving trauma patients remains undefined. The primary aims of this study included determining the prevalence of intraoperative vascular consultation in trauma, describing how these interactions have changed over time, and characterizing the outcomes achieved by vascular surgeons in these settings.

Impact of pediatric hypophosphatasia on behavioral health and quality of life.

Background: Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is a rare genetic disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in the ALPL gene encoding tissue nonspecific alkaline phosphatase. It is characterized by defective bone mineralization associated with low alkaline phosphatase activity. Clinical features of pediatric HPP are highly variable, and can include premature loss of teeth, musculoskeletal problems, and impaired mobility.

Predictors of Student Failure or Poor Performance on Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences.

To determine factors predictive of student failure or poor performance on advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) at a single pharmacy program. This retrospective cohort evaluated students entering the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program from 2012-2014 at St. Louis College of Pharmacy.

Scholarship During a Pandemic: Secondary Data Analysis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted nearly every aspect of life in the United States and around the globe, including significant impacts to higher education, both in its teaching-learning and research missions. With the physical closure of so many college and university campuses, a looming challenge is how nurse researchers can continue to generate new knowledge during a temporary but extended period of social distancing where conducting research requiring physical interaction with participants is impossible. In this Methodology Corner installment, a brief overview of secondary data analysis is provided, and resources for locating potentially useful data are described.

Interventions to Improve Mental Health, Well-Being, Physical Health, and Lifestyle Behaviors in Physicians and Nurses: A Systematic Review.

Objective: This systematic review focused on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with physicians and nurses that tested interventions designed to improve their mental health, well-being, physical health, and lifestyle behaviors.

Data Source: A systematic search of electronic databases from 2008 to May 2018 included PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, and the Cochrane Library.

Study Inclusion And Exclusion Criteria: Inclusion criteria included an RCT design, samples of physicians and/or nurses, and publication year 2008 or later with outcomes targeting mental health, well-being/resiliency, healthy lifestyle behaviors, and/or physical health.

Self-Care: A Stewardship Perspective.

What does it mean to practice self-care? How do we care effectively and compassionately for our patients while maintaining our own physical and emotional health? Nursing associations have incorporated the importance of self-care into models for good nursing practice. The perspective on self-care can change from one of self-focus to one of stewardship. Self-care from a stewardship view reflects what God is already doing to take care of us.

Defining Practical Significance Is Hard, But We Should Do It Anyway.

Although it was decades in the making, the urgency to move beyond simplistic rules for interpreting p values is quickly increasing. While p values may never completely disappear from our quantitative analysis tool box, the need to actively consider the practical significance of our statistical findings increases each day. In this Methodology Corner article, the concept of practical significance is reviewed and compared to our evolving concept of statistical significance.