What patients want to know about genetic testing for kidney disease.

Previously, genetic kidney disease was often recognised when family members shared clinical features. Now, many genetic kidney diseases are diagnosed when testing demonstrates a pathogenic variant in a gene associated with the disease. Detection of a genetic variant also identifies the mode of inheritance, and suggests family members at risk.

Clinical trial recommendations for potential Alport syndrome therapies.

Alport syndrome is experiencing a remarkable increase in preclinical investigations. To proactively address the needs of the Alport syndrome community, as well as offer clarity for future clinical research sponsors, the Alport Syndrome Foundation hosted a workshop to generate consensus recommendations for prospective trials for conventional drugs. Opinions of key stakeholders were carefully considered, including those of the biopharmaceutical industry representatives, academic researchers, clinicians, regulatory agency representatives, and-most critically-patients with Alport syndrome.

Novel laser-based catheter for peripheral atherectomy: 6-month results from the Eximo Medical B-Laser™ IDE study.

Background: The B-Laser™ atherectomy system (Eximo Medical, Israel) is a 355 nm solid-state Nd:YAG short pulse laser for de-novo and restenotic infrainguinal PAD with enhanced affinity for atheroma and calcified plaque.

Methods: The study was a prospective, single-arm, multi-center, international, open-label study assessing the B-Laser™ in symptomatic (Rutherford 2 to 4) infrainguinal peripheral artery disease. Primary core lab efficacy was mean reduction in diameter stenosis >20% by the B-Laser™ catheter alone.

Pulmonary artery stenting in a patient with Takayasu's arteritis using a novel balloon-expandable covered stent.

Patients with Takayasu's arteritis have pulmonary artery involvement more commonly than previously appreciated. The majority of these lesions are in segmental or sub-segmental arteries, but there are some patients who have severe stenosis of the main pulmonary arteries. Interventional treatment of these patients is technically feasible, but there are only limited case reports describing such intervention.

Acute and 30-Day Safety and Effectiveness Evaluation of Eximo Medical's B-Laser™, a Novel Atherectomy Device, in Subjects Affected With Infrainguinal Peripheral Arterial Disease: Results of the EX-PAD-03 Trial.

Background: B-Laser™ is a novel atherectomy device that uses a solid-state third harmonic pulsed Nd:YAG laser with an output of 355 nm. Early data showed that the B-Laser™ is safe in treating a broad range of infrainguinal arterial lesions. We present the results of the EX-PAD-03 U.

Patient Comfort with Yellow (577 nm) vs. Green (532 nm) Laser Panretinal Photocoagulation for Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy.

Purpose: Pain associated with panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) can adversely affect the number and quality of retinal burns delivered and subsequently increase the number of treatment sessions required to achieve regression of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). We assessed comfort in patients undergoing treatment with yellow (577 nm) vs. green (532 nm) PRP for PDR.

A Prospective, Single-Arm, Multicenter Trial of Ultrasound-Facilitated, Catheter-Directed, Low-Dose Fibrinolysis for Acute Massive and Submassive Pulmonary Embolism: The SEATTLE II Study.

Objectives: This study conducted a prospective, single-arm, multicenter trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ultrasound-facilitated, catheter-directed, low-dose fibrinolysis, using the EkoSonic Endovascular System (EKOS, Bothell, Washington).

Background: Systemic fibrinolysis for acute pulmonary embolism (PE) reduces cardiovascular collapse but causes hemorrhagic stroke at a rate exceeding 2%.

Methods: Eligible patients had a proximal PE and a right ventricular (RV)-to-left ventricular (LV) diameter ratio ≥0.

Prognostic Value of Ocular Trauma Scores in Patients With Combined Open Globe Injuries and Facial Fractures.

Purpose: To assess the prognostic value of the Ocular Trauma Score in patients with combined open globe injuries and facial fractures.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Methods: A comprehensive chart review was conducted on 25 patients (28 eyes) identified from the Elmhurst City Hospital Trauma Registry between January 1, 2000 and June 30, 2012.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of orbital atherectomy plus balloon angioplasty vs balloon angioplasty alone in subjects with calcified femoropopliteal lesions.

Introduction: As cost considerations become increasingly critical when selecting optimal endovascular treatment strategies, a cost-benefit analysis was conducted comparing the Diamondback 360°® Orbital Atherectomy System (OAS) (Cardiovascular Systems, Inc., St Paul, MN, USA) and balloon angioplasty (BA) vs BA alone for treatment of calcified femoropopliteal lesions.

Patients And Methods: The clinical outcomes from COMPLIANCE 360°, a prospective, multicenter, randomized study comparing OAS+BA vs BA alone for treatment of calcified femoropopliteal lesions, were correlated with cost data and previously published quality of life data.

Clinical and prognostic features of rectal neuroendocrine tumors.

Background: Rectal neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are among the most common NETs. The aim was to validate European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS)/North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (NANETS) staging and grading systems with regard to clinical outcomes.

Methods: A comprehensive database was constructed from existing databases of the Mount Sinai Division of Gastrointestinal Pathology and the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation.

Rapid, nondestructive estimation of surface polymer layer thickness using attenuated total reflection fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy and synthetic spectra derived from optical principles.

We have developed a rapid, nondestructive analytical method that estimates the thickness of a surface polymer layer with high precision but unknown accuracy using a single attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) measurement. Because the method is rapid, nondestructive, and requires no sample preparation, it is ideal as a process analytical technique. Prior to implementation, the ATR FT-IR spectrum of the substrate layer pure component and the ATR FT-IR and real refractive index spectra of the surface layer pure component must be known.

Nine-month results of the REFORM study: a prospective, single-arm, multicenter clinical study of the safety and effectiveness of the Formula™ balloon-expandable stent for treatment of renal artery stenosis.

Objectives: To evaluate the 9-month safety and effectiveness outcomes of the Formula™ balloon-expandable renal stent (Cook Medical, Bloomington, IN) for the treatment of atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (RAS) following suboptimal angioplasty.

Background: Atherosclerotic RAS can cause hypertension and ischemic nephropathy. When clinically indicated, an interventional approach with renal angioplasty and stent implantation is the preferred method for revascularization of atherosclerotic renal artery stenoses.

The hidden challenges in role transitions and how leadership coaching can help new leaders find solid ground.

Leadership coaching is becoming an increasingly important intervention that helps individual nurse executives and managers develop and use the best of their strengths, gifts, and talents. As the need for leadership in nursing becomes urgent and brave souls move into the positions of greater authority and potential impact, they will face challenges as they move up in rank. This article identifies the hidden and often-overlooked challenges that are faced by new leaders as they transition into roles of increased responsibility, and it demonstrates how leadership coaching can help new leaders make successful transitions.

Towards ambient temperature-stable vaccines: the identification of thermally stabilizing liquid formulations for measles virus using an innovative high-throughput infectivity assay.

As a result of thermal instability, some live attenuated viral (LAV) vaccines lose substantial potency from the time of manufacture to the point of administration. Developing regions lacking extensive, reliable refrigeration ("cold-chain") infrastructure are particularly vulnerable to vaccine failure, which in turn increases the burden of disease. Development of a robust, infectivity-based high throughput screening process for identifying thermostable vaccine formulations offers significant promise for vaccine development across a wide variety of LAV products.

Excimer laser recanalization of femoropopliteal lesions and 1-year patency: results of the CELLO registry.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a modified laser catheter designed for the endovascular treatment of peripheral artery disease (PAD) affecting the superficial femoral artery (SFA) and proximal popliteal artery.

Methods: The CliRpath Excimer Laser System to Enlarge Lumen Openings (CELLO) study was a single-arm, prospective registry conducted at 17 investigational sites in the United States. The primary endpoint was the reduction in index lesion percent diameter stenosis (% DS) measured by Doppler ultrasound following laser ablation prior to any adjunctive therapy.

The benefits of a leadership program and executive coaching for new nursing academic administrators: one college's experience.

Despite attention given to the nursing shortage and now the nursing faculty shortage, what is perhaps less visible but equally critical are the pending retirements of most of the current cadre of academic nursing administrators in the next decade. With only 2.1% of current deans, directors, and department chairs in 2006 aged 45 years or younger, there may be a pending crisis in leadership development and succession planning in our nursing schools and colleges.

Safety and performance of targeted renal therapy: the Be-RITe! Registry.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and patterns of use of targeted renal therapy (TRT) with the Benephit system. TRT, the delivery of therapeutic agents directly to the kidneys by renal arterial infusion, has the advantage of providing a higher local effective dose with potentially greater renal effects, while limiting systemic adverse effects due to renal first-pass elimination.

Methods: The Benephit System Renal Infusion Therapy (Be-RITe!) Multicenter Registry was a post-market registry following patients treated using the Benephit systems for TRT.

Orbital atherectomy for infrapopliteal disease: device concept and outcome data for the OASIS trial.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and short-term efficacy of orbital atherectomy for chronic infrapopliteal arterial occlusive disease.

Background: Infrapopliteal occlusive disease is a common cause of critical limb ischemia and claudication. There are no American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines for infrapopliteal revascularization for chronic limb ischemia.

Safety and efficacy of pressure-assisted tissue-welding tonsillectomy: a preliminary evaluation.

We conducted a retrospective study of the safety and efficacy of a new pressure-assisted tissue-welding technology (ENTceps; Starion Instruments Corp.; Sunnyvale, Calif) for total tonsillectomy, either alone or with adenoidectomy. The use of this instrument was compared in two groups of patients categorized by age.

Novel near-infrared sampling apparatus for single kernel analysis of oil content in maize.

A method of rapid, nondestructive chemical and physical analysis of individual maize (Zea mays L.) kernels is needed for the development of high value food, feed, and fuel traits. Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy offers a robust nondestructive method of trait determination.

Tissue welding forceps usage in superficial parotidectomy: a clinical assessment.

Tissue welding forceps (TWF) have been used effectively in a number of surgical procedures including blood vessel harvesting and tonsillectomy. Our objective was to assess the safety and efficacy of TWF usage in superficial parotidectomy. We performed a retrospective review of 25 patients between November 2002 and July 2006 who underwent superficial parotidectomy using TWF.

Prediction of oil and oleic acid concentrations in individual corn (Zea mays L.) kernels using near-infrared reflectance hyperspectral imaging and multivariate analysis.

Due to their heterogeneous structure and variability in form, individual corn (Zea mays L.) kernels present an optical challenge for nondestructive spectroscopic determination of their chemical composition. Increasing demand in agricultural science for knowledge of specific traits in kernels is driving the need to find high-throughput methods of examination.

Kinetic modeling of aldehyde adsorption rates on bare and aminopropylsilyl-modified silica gels by ultra-rapid-scanning fourier transform infrared spectrometry.

Enhancements of a model capable of precisely defining rates of adsorption in terms of a Langmuir isotherm and determined from infrared and pressure data collected in the millisecond time regime are described in detail. Rates of adsorption are determined for formaldehyde and acetaldehyde exposed to bare and aminopropylsilyl-derivatized silica gel. The model fits the collected data by varying the number of adsorption sites and the adsorption and desorption rate constants and determines the best fit based on the measured IR absorbance, partial pressure, exposure backpressure, number of adsorption sites, and time.

Kinetic modeling of the adsorption rate of a gaseous adsorbate on a granular adsorbent by ultra-rapid-scanning Fourier transform infrared spectrometry.

A novel method for determining the rates of adsorption of gaseous adsorbates on granular adsorbents in the millisecond time regime is described. Mixtures of the adsorbate and nitrogen are passed through a solenoid valve and 100 mg of the adsorbent for periods of (typically) 100 ms. The concentration of the adsorbate passing into a low-volume, long path length gas cell is measured with an ultra-rapid-scanning Fourier transform infrared spectrometer capable of gathering 200 mid-infrared spectra per second with 6-cm(-1) resolution.