Welcoming new neighbors: Minnesota's rapid response model to address the urgent health needs of Afghan newcomers, 2021-2022.

As a result of the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan in fall 2021, 1,260 Afghan evacuees arrived in Minnesota between October 2021 and February 2022. Several contextual factors including an overtaxed health system under duress from COVID-19 and uncertain benefit eligibility prompted a coordinated public health response to appropriately address the acute and pressing medical concerns of our new neighbors. This community case study describes the State of Minnesota's cross-sectoral response that created a welcoming environment, identified public health concerns, and addressed acute medical needs.

Implementation Challenges of T Visa Eligibility for Human Trafficking Survivors: A Role for Social Work.

The passage of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) and subsequent creation of a residency process for nonresident survivors of human trafficking (the T Visa) are notable milestones in the United States' effort to address the problem of human trafficking and provide essential supports to trafficking survivors. However, current implementation of the statute's eligibility criteria for accessing entitlements and protections contributes to a potential for retraumatization, further traumatization, and other continued harms to survivors. The present article explores the structural and conceptual limitations of current T Visa policy and of recent annual policy guidance materials as important contributors to these policy implementation problems.

A Process for the Design and Development of Novel Bone Morphogenetic Protein-7 (BMP-7) Mimetics With an Example: THR-184.

Growth Factors have been evaluated as therapeutic targets for the treatment of a broad spectrum of diseases. Because they are proteins with pleiotropic effects, the quest to harness their beneficial effects has presented challenges. Most Growth Factors operate at the extracellular-receptor level and have natural feedback mechanisms that modulate their effects.

Pre-emptive pangenotypic direct acting antiviral therapy in donor HCV-positive to recipient HCV-negative heart transplantation: an open-label study.

Background: Low donor heart availability underscores the need to identify all potentially transplantable organs. We sought to determine whether pre-emptive administration of pangenotypic direct-acting antiviral therapy can safely prevent the development of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in uninfected recipients of HCV-infected donor hearts.

Methods: Patients were recruited for this an open-label, single-centre, proof-of-concept study from Nov 1, 2017, to Nov 30, 2018.

Harnessing the BMP signaling pathway to control the formation of cancer stem cells by effects on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) persist in tumors as a distinct population and may be causative in metastasis and relapse. CSC-rich tumors are associated with higher rates of metastasis and poor patient prognosis. Targeting CSCs therapeutically is challenging, since they seem to be resistant to standard chemotherapy.

Cameraless peritoneal entry in abdominal laparoscopy.

Background And Objectives: Despite significant advances in laparoscopic instrumentation and techniques, injury to intraabdominal structures remains a potentially serious complication of peritoneal access. Consensus on the best method to obtain peritoneal access is lacking. A safe technique that does not rely on direct visualization of the abdominal layers could shorten the learning curve for surgeons and potentially be adopted by other physicians for a variety of nonsurgical indications for peritoneal entry.

Activin-like kinase 3 is important for kidney regeneration and reversal of fibrosis.

Molecules associated with the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) superfamily, such as bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) and TGF-β, are key regulators of inflammation, apoptosis and cellular transitions. Here we show that the BMP receptor activin-like kinase 3 (Alk3) is elevated early in diseased kidneys after injury. We also found that its deletion in the tubular epithelium leads to enhanced TGF-β1-Smad family member 3 (Smad3) signaling, epithelial damage and fibrosis, suggesting a protective role for Alk3-mediated signaling in the kidney.

Use of amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide to guide outpatient therapy of patients with chronic left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether chronic heart failure (HF) therapy guided by concentrations of amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is superior to standard of care (SOC) management.

Background: It is unclear whether standard HF treatment plus a goal of reducing NT-proBNP concentrations improves outcomes compared with standard management alone.

Methods: In a prospective single-center trial, 151 subjects with HF due to left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction were randomized to receive either standard HF care plus a goal to reduce NT-proBNP concentrations ≤1,000 pg/ml or SOC management.

Multi-drug resistant E.coli urosepsis in physicians following transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsies--three cases including one death.

Three male physicians underwent transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsies for elevated prostate-specific antigen levels or irregular digital rectal exam findings. All three of these patients developed urosepsis secondary to multi-drug resistant organisms despite antibiotic prophylaxis. There are increasing reports of infectious complications following prostate biopsy caused by multi-drug resistant organisms.

Maternal and fetal risk factors associated with severity of hypospadias: a comparison of mild and severe cases.

Objective: To determine maternal and fetal demographic factors which predict the risk of increasing severity of hypospadias.

Patients And Methods: A population-based study using the Nova Scotia Atlee Perinatal Database was performed. Demographic variables of mothers and boys with hypospadias were obtained from 1980 to 2007 inclusive.

Hormonal control of second flushing in Douglas-fir shoots.

Spring-flushing, over-wintered buds of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) produce new buds that may follow various developmental pathways. These include second flushing in early summer or dormancy before flushing during the following spring.

Effect of intensive lipid lowering, with or without antioxidant vitamins, compared with moderate lipid lowering on myocardial ischemia in patients with stable coronary artery disease: the Vascular Basis for the Treatment of Myocardial Ischemia Study.

Background: Lipid lowering with statins prevents adverse cardiac events. Both lipid-lowering and antioxidant therapies may favorably affect vasomotor function and thereby improve ischemia.

Methods And Results: In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 300 patients with stable coronary disease, a positive exercise treadmill test, 48-hour ambulatory ECG with > or =1 episode of ischemia, and fasting total cholesterol of 180 to 250 mg/dL were assigned to 1-year treatment with intensive atorvastatin to reduce LDL to <80 mg/dL (n=96), intensive atorvastatin to reduce LDL to <80 mg/dL plus antioxidant vitamins C (1000 mg/d) and E (800 mg/d) (n=101), or diet and low-dose lovastatin, if needed, to reduce LDL to <130 mg/dL (n=103; control group).

Vascular basis for the treatment of myocardial ischemia study: trial design and baseline characteristics.

Background: Increased low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and oxidized LDL cholesterol levels adversely affect endothelial function in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Statin drugs are efficacious in primary and secondary prevention of clinical CAD events, but they have not been extensively studied as a treatment for ischemia during routine daily activities or during exercise, indicators of high-risk in patients with stable CAD. The purpose of the Vascular Basis for the Treatment of Myocardial Ischemia study is to determine whether aggressive lowering of LDL cholesterol level with atorvastatin, with or without supplemental antioxidant vitamins C and E, can improve endothelial function and ischemia during ambulatory electrocardiogram (AECG) monitoring and exercise treadmill testing (ETT).

Email recruitment to use web decision support tools for pneumonia.

Application of guidelines to improve clinical decisions for Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) patients depends on accurate information about specific facts of each case and on presenting guideline support at the time decisions are being made. We report here on a system designed to solicit information from physicians about their CAP patients in order to classify CAP and present appropriate guidelines for type of care, length of stay, and use of antibiotics. We used elements of three existing information systems to create a achieve these goals: professionals coding diagnoses captured by the existing clinical information system (CIS), email, and web-based decision support tools including a pneumonia severity evaluation tool (SET).

Photocontrol of flowering and stem extension of the intermediate-day plant Echinacea purpurea.

Intermediate-day plants (IDP) flower most rapidly and completely under intermediate photoperiods (e.g., 12-14 h of light), but few species have been identified and their flowering responses are not well understood.